

Ultras: Effect of the Sky Canopy

By Travis Lefelhoc

Copyright 2013 Travis Lefelhoc

Smashwords Edition

For Emma Lee Sines

My Grandmother has frequently told me how much she loves to read. She has read countless novels over the years and recommended many of them to me. Through her, I have been inspired to read, and in many ways, write this novel.

I would like to thank the many people who helped me along the way on this book; to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

I want to thank my wife, Julie, for listening to me babble about ideas and for reading and giving feedback along this difficult journey. I would also like to thank my kids, Aidan and Annalise for putting up with dad while he wrote his novel.

I would like to thank William Greenleaf for helping a clueless first time author and pointing out some of the most important techniques in writing.

Thanks to Catherine and Esther at Critique My Novel for editing and giving me an honest review.
Table of Contents

Prologue

1 Dr. Mirren

2 Dr. Mirren

3 Raiden

4 Jathen

5 Vander

6 Jathen

7 Leron

8 Dark Ninja

9 Swelter

10 Snow

11 Jathen

12 Snow

13 Vander

14 Harrison

15 Jathen

16 Swelter

17 Harrison

18 Dark Ninja

19 Vander

20 Snow

21 Jathen

22 Granite

23 Jathen

24 Snow

25 Jathen

26 Snow

27 Granite

28 Dark Ninja

29 Granite

30 Dark Ninja

31 Snow & Jathen

32 Vander

33 Granite

34 Snow

35 Jathen

36 Snow

37 Jathen

38 Snow

39 Swelter

40 Snow

41 Granite

42 Swelter

43 Jathen

44 Snow

45 Swelter

46 Vander

47 Snow

48 Swelter

49 Jathen

50 Vander

51 Snow

52 Swelter

53 Vander

54 Jathen

55 Vander

56 Mirren

57 Snow

58 Raiden

59 Swelter

60 Jathen

61 Mirren

62 Raiden

63 Swelter

64 Snow

65 Jathen

Epilogue

Prologue

1 Dr. Mirren

"What do you mean you're not sure if you can continue with the Sky Canopy project, Mirren?" asked Walter Huff, CEO of the Association of Civilized Citizens. He slammed the bowl of candy he was holding back onto his desk with a thud.

Dr. Stephen Mirren stared back at his boss. He had known the news would not go over well. The leader of the AOCC was a very stubborn, demanding man. Dr. Mirren could feel the lump in his throat grow. He hated being in this office. He hated the big oak desk, the pale yellow walls, and the smell of cheap cologne mixed with B.O.

The overly obese form of Walter Huff leered back at him from behind his desk. "We need a new form of energy, something that will give us a defense system against those damn creatures out there. They're kickin' our asses. You don't seem to understand that there is no oil left. Without it our military has been reduced to infantry. No vehicles, no chance. We're getting slaughtered out there."

Dr. Mirren closed his eyes. "I know, I know. We need to do something, but the new Canopy technology is not the answer. It's not ready."

"It is ready! You've said it yourself." Spittle flew from Walter's mouth. "Last week we were celebrating for Christ sakes."

"I'm sorry; I got over anxious. I was excited about the possibility of complete safety, but I have since discovered that there may be complications." He met Walter's gaze. "Sky Canopy is designed to completely encase the entire city, but the electromagnetic shield protecting us will ultimately cause side effects. Upon further analysis, I believe it will cause a dead-space."

"Dead what?" asked Walter with skepticism. "You're getting paranoid, Stephen. Stop second guessing yourself and trust your first conclusion. Let me ask you one question." Walter lifted his eyebrows. "Will it keep the Ferals out?"

"Yes, but—"

"But nothing," interrupted Walter. "That's all I want to hear. The Ferals are our top concern. You told me that it would end the war."

"It may end the war, yes..." Dr. Mirren paused, drew in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "You're not listening to me, Walter. I'm not being paranoid, I'm being realistic. This thing could really affect the future of the outside world in a disastrous way. We have to think about everything else outside of Sky Canopy—the people, plants, animals... life. The effects of the Canopy technology could be catastrophic over time. We could potentially extinguish life all around us. I don't want to be the cause of that. Do you?"

Walter clenched his jaw and wrinkled his eyebrows into a deep scowl. Dr. Mirren hated seeing that look. As head of the AOCC, Walter could easily force Dr. Mirren to relinquish the Canopy technology.

With some effort, Walter rose from his chair and turned to look out his window. "I've got panicking citizens all over the city. They're scared stiff. They're out there right now with signs that say: 'The end has come,' 'Apocalypse is here,' 'Hell on earth'... on and on. More soldiers are coming back in bags every day. Those Feral monsters are relentless. We have to do something to keep the damn things out."

Walter turned his hefty body back to face Dr. Mirren, planting his meaty hands on the desk and leaning forward. "Sometimes, we have to make tough decisions. I won't stop the project because of some theory of yours." He fell back into his chair with a thud.

"It's not a theory. New technology of this kind needs testing. We can't jump ahead of ourselves," said Dr. Mirren. "The Ultra project is coming along nicely. If you need an immediate solution, that's where we should look. We have three new potentials at the moment. Let's get them integrated and out there on the line."

"Freaks and carnival acts. That's a pipe dream. I haven't seen any evidence that the ones we have put out there made any difference. Even if they are more advanced than you and I, what can they do against millions of ferocious monsters? I know what I'm talking about. I have all the undisclosed facts."

Dr. Mirren closed his eyes again. "They're not a hoax, Walter. There are some exceptional people out there. Ultrasapiens have the ability to access the full potential of the human brain. It allows heightened skills unique to each individual. It's more like a miracle, a balancing act to give us hope against the Ferals. The Ultra trait is rare, yes, but we have found that they are much further evolved than the rest of us. We shouldn't look past what's happening. I think this could be the answer we are looking for."

"You keep saying you 'think', or you 'have a theory.' That's bullshit. Theories and prayers aren't going to save us. I've seen nothing that leads me to believe those Ultra people can make a big enough difference. I can't sit around and wait for your miracle makers while all the other humans die."

"Why do you insist on ignoring everything I tell you? I'm your lead scientist and you disregard everything I say!"

"Not true. I listen to you, Stephen. You're a brilliant man, but sometimes you get a little mad-scientist on me. I just can't make my decisions based on a theory. Even if these people are special and can do all the wonderful things you say they can, we still can't win. We need to protect ourselves. I am willing to take the chances necessary for our immediate future based on the factual information you've given me. We know Sky Canopy is a solution. The discussion is over. I want those engineers with their nose to the grind stone first thing in the a.m."

Dr. Mirren had lost the argument and he knew it. He looked at the ground as his mind raced to find a way to win the dispute.

Walter kept talking. "Look at the bright side. What you've discovered is a major breakthrough. It will go down in the history books. You'll be a hero." He paused and changed his facial expression into a threatening stare. "Just do me a small favor and keep your mouth shut about your theories. What we just talked about stays in this room—capice? I don't need any more stress on the population than there already is. If the people start thinking we're making the wrong decisions up here—you and I will both be out there with the Ferals."

Dr. Mirren rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about a revolt. I'm trying to save the people." He paused for a moment. "This isn't a popularity contest to me. Maybe the general population should have a say in these developments."

"I'm not fucking around here, Stephen. You take this theory of yours public—I'll put you in the ground."

"Calm down, Walter. I can see I'm not going to change your mind. You can threaten me all you want, but if you go through with this, you're going to regret it." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Just give me some more time, please. Let me run some more tests."

"No! Damn it! My decision is made! Now get out of here. Go find us another superhero if that will make you feel any better." Walter rose from his desk and waddled over to the door. He stopped and pointed one finger at Dr. Mirren. "And, Doctor, just remember to keep your mouth shut. Don't make me take extreme measures."

Dr. Mirren stared back defiantly for a moment, then turned and walked out. He left the office in defeat. There would be no convincing that bully. At least he had tried. After all, it was his own fault. He had presented Walter with a way that could save humanity without full knowledge of the subject. Now there was no turning back. Walter saw a solution to stopping the Ferals and he was going to proceed at any cost.

Dr. Mirren returned to his lab. He punched in the key code on the door, crossed the room and unlocked a glass case that held a small, cylinder-shaped tube. He gently removed the unusually heavy object from its nesting spot. Admiring the intricacy of the small contraption, he thought about how it was originally supposed to save the human race; how this small canister would provide the core power source to Sky Canopy. He pondered the options in front of him: concede to the wishes of Walter Huff, or take matters into his own hands. There must be a way to stop the Ferals, something other than this, but what? Dr. Mirren stuffed the core into his satchel and headed for the exit. He was sure that Walter would do everything in his power to get the core back, but this was the only way. If he could get far enough away, maybe there was a chance.

2 Dr. Mirren

Dr. Mirren hurried out of the building carrying the core safely in his nap-sack. He had to get out of the city and get as far away from Walter Huff as possible. There was only one place to go. Outside the city, to a farm on the edge of the border, they wouldn't be able to find him there.

He arrived at the Magna-rail station. He slid a plastic card through the ticket booth, grabbed his receipt and rushed toward the nearest train. He slumped into an open seat waiting nervously for the train to move. Was he making the right decision? He was about to be one of the most wanted men in the city.

He felt the train lurch forward and a feeling of relief swept over him. At least he was going to make it out of the city. He peered out the window as the train left the station his thoughts spinning in many directions.

The sun spilled in through the window and warmed Dr. Mirren's face, a small relief from the last several hours. He shook his head wondering how he got to this position. He could have made many different choices in his past and avoided this whole mess. He reached back squeezing his neck, trying to rub the stiffness out. He thought back to the day that it all began.

*****

It had been a cool fall day as Dr. Mirren remembered it. The AOCC was looking in all directions for ways to get an upper hand in the Border Wars against the Ferals. They were always looking for new people that had potential of carrying the Ultra gene. The Alliance had already utilized these special humans to help in the war effort, but there just weren't enough to make a big difference. Dr. Mirren was tasked with finding more.

He had pinpointed a new Ultra candidate. His research had shown the new prospect to be a young boy living with a single mother. Due to this situation, he wanted to make his introduction look coincidental. He waited until the opportune time and anticipated their monthly supply run to the local market.

The town was a boomtown, consisting mostly of military units stationed there in effort of the Border Wars. The market was especially crowded on that day, with a new shipment from inside the city arriving earlier. Dr. Mirren stayed back keeping inconspicuous as he watched the family.

It was the first time he had seen the boy's mother; she was beautiful. He had researched the family and knew roundabout all their ages, but she looked much younger than her thirty-five years. Of Asian descent, she had long dark hair and an athletic, slender build. She tried to downplay her beauty by dressing very casual. It was hard not to notice her.

Three boys accompanied Mom. As Dr. Mirren surveyed them from a distance, he quickly noticed how the boys acted older than their ages. The oldest—around twelve—was tall and lanky, with a thin face that favored his mother. The second oldest was shorter with a round face and a thicker frame; Dr. Mirren put him at about ten years old. The youngest boy was the prospect for the Ultras program, and he couldn't have been more than eight years old. He wore a hat that kept his face in shadow.

Dr. Mirren navigated through the market making sure the family didn't notice him. He needed to wait for the right moment.

The market itself was in an old structurally, unsound schoolhouse. The floors and walls were covered with dirt and grime, but most of the overgrown vegetation had been removed. He could tell where they had fixed the roof, but spots of water damage still lingered throughout. Rows of holo-clerk vending machines sprinkled with human-attended stands filled the open space. Most of the customers flocked around the human-operated carts, looking for fresher products.

The family passed by a stand of fresh fruit that had just been delivered several hours earlier. The oldest boy stopped to look at the bananas.

Dr. Mirren stood close by pretending to look at a cart of apples.

Mom tried to usher the boy along, but he refused to go. He just stared at the large bushel of ripe, yellow bananas. "We need to go, Lucas, we don't have enough credits for that. I'm sorry, maybe next time," she told him.

Dr. Mirren stepped forward. He shifted his grey coat to the side and slipped his hand into his pocket, trying to stay casual. "Excuse me, ma'am, I couldn't help but overhear. I would be happy to pay for some fresh fruit for your children. I can see your boy is very excited. I understand times are tough."

Mom looked at Dr. Mirren skeptically. "Eh... thank you, but we must decline. We can make do on our own."

Dr. Mirren persisted. "I insist. Please." He reached up and took a group of bananas and gave the man behind the stand his card before Mom could act.

He ripped off a banana and handed one to each of the boys. "There are places to sit down if you like, or you can enjoy them right here." He offered one to Mom, but she waved the offering off.

"You shouldn't have done that, but thank you anyways. Boys?"

They all mumbled their thanks.

"It was my pleasure," Dr. Mirren said as he squatted down to look at the youngest boy. "A strapping young fellow this one. I bet you will turn out to be someone very special."

The young boy looked up into Dr. Mirren's face. He wore a black baseball hat that concealed most of his eyes, but when he lifted his head, Dr. Mirren knew he found the boy he was looking for.

He studied the boy's eyes. They were nearly all white, with a slight gray ring around the iris and just the black dot of the pupil; an apparent side effect from the Ultra gene.

Mom quickly reached out and pushed her son's hat down further over his eyes. The boy dropped his head to look back down at the ground.

Dr. Mirren stood back up and extended his hand to Mom. "My name is Dr. Stephen Mirren, ma'am. It is nice to meet you."

She looked at his hand for a moment, and Dr. Mirren thought she would refuse to shake, but she raised her hand and lightly gripped his. "Aiko Smith."

"I would like to offer to buy the four of you lunch, if you would just give me several minutes of your time, Mrs. Smith."

Mom immediately became defensive. "No thank you. We would like to continue with our own business now. Thank you for your generosity, but we're not interested in anything you are selling." She began to shuffle the boys along.

"Mrs. Smith, please don't go. I am not a salesman. I just need to speak with you for a moment. I have the means to make it so that you can buy anything you like in this place, if you'll just listen."

She continued moving along and turned her back to the doctor. "Not interested, we keep to ourselves. Thank you again."

Dr. Mirren hustled up to walk alongside her. "Mrs. Smith, please? I know about your son. He's special. I can help him."

Aiko stopped abruptly and raised her finger. "You stay away from my son," she hissed through her teeth. "We don't need any help. Please leave us alone."

"Hold on, let's calm down," said Dr. Mirren as he made a motion with his hands to suggest innocence. "All I would like to do is spend some time with him. No crazy tests or anything like that, just observation under your supervision. I can pay handsomely for that."

"We don't need money; we get on fine ourselves. We really must be going now, excuse us." She continued toward the exit of the market.

"There are others like him," Dr. Mirren said from a distance.

They kept moving toward the exit.

"I can teach him to control it."

Mom stopped. "Can you! Then what? You'll take him away?"

It was all happening so quick. Dr. Mirren stood watching not sure what else to say. But the young boy reached up and grabbed his mother's arm. "Momma? I think I might want to talk to the man."

She looked down at her son with sad eyes. His small voice had calmed her instantly. She placed her hand on his cheek. "Is that what you really want?

He nodded and smiled up at her.

Dr. Mirren knew he was in.

*****

Dr. Mirren was beginning to feel sleepy as he sat in his chair on the train. It had been quite a morning, arguing with Walter and fleeing from the city really took it out of him. He felt much safer now that the train had left the city. He figured it would take them some time before they figured out that he had left. They would surely search his lab and his apartment before realizing that he was truly gone.

He had never mentioned to anyone inside the city about the family he stayed with while he worked with the young boy. There was no record that the small farm even existed.

The farm...he couldn't wait to get back and see the family again. He should never have left. As he began to drift off to sleep he thought of the day he made his discovery.

*****

The boy's father had been killed in the war several years earlier. He had left them to tend the farm by themselves. The three brothers did a pretty good job in his place, but they still missed a father figure. The youngest boy didn't even remember much about his father; the only thing he left the boy was his looks. Aside from his white eyes and hairless body, he looked much like his father, with little to none of his mother's Asian features.

The small family made do. And in the years that followed the death of their father, Mom had grown very protective of her three boys. They lived as far out as civilization reached, before the land turned over to Feral territory. She kept them away from the public. She wanted to shield them from its corruption.

It was surprising how the family was able to survive this far away from town. How the Ferals left them alone. For some reason, they would not cross a boundary line set up around the farm. Something kept them away and allowed the family to run their farm normally. The monsters simply avoided them. Dr. Mirren had never seen anything quite like it. He thought it must have been another ability of the boy. The phenomenon gave him an idea.

Dr. Mirren had done as he suggested and stayed with them only to observe and teach the young boy. He had found the boy to be much more potent than any Ultra to date. He had the ability to generate bioelectricity. Although young and raw, Dr. Mirren worked with him and helped him to understand. He explained to the boy how the Ultra-sapien genes had left him without any hair and unusually white eyes, but had given him an extraordinary gift in its place.

Dr. Mirren even gave him a nickname, he began to call him Raiden. A Japanese god of thunder and lightning. The boy seemed to like that name, so it stuck.

It took some time, but the Raiden's mother, Aiko finally began to warm up to Dr. Mirren. At first he found himself stumbling on his words and embarrassing himself in her presence. But she must have found him likeable. In fact, Dr. Mirren began to see signs of a possible relationship with the pretty Asian woman.

A deep thinker, Aiko loved nature and all things that grew. She always felt that the earth had a spirit of its own and that the humans had been killing the planet little by little. She raised her boys to respect all living things—to not take for granted what had been given to them. She taught them that their own lives were a gift. Dr. Mirren respected that about her. She was a strong woman and gave her sons a solid foundation to survive in the difficult world they lived in.

Everything seemed to be going so well until one fateful day, when Dr. Mirren made a discovery that changed everything.

He and the youngest boy were outside working on the electrical generator. They were converting it to use Raiden's abilities to help give the house electricity.

Dr. Mirren fiddled around with a special type of synthetic metal compound called Syneranium—it could amplify energy. He explained how the substance was very hard to create, with components even harder to find. He had invented this new metal compound and carried some of it with him.

He whispered in Raiden's ear that the tiny chunk of metal, no more than a dime-sized piece, was worth a fortune as he let it glitter in the sun. Two wires loosely connected the small, shiny metal to the generator.

"Alright young fellow, I want you to come up and take hold of this," Dr. Mirren told him.

Raiden moved closer and placed the small rock with the two wires into his hand.

"Now go ahead and concentrate on creating energy, like we've been practicing. Let it build up, then with everything you have, release it into the metal."

Raiden closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Dr. Mirren could see the energy begin to charge in his body. He started to shudder as it gathered. Then Raiden opened his eyes and sent the energy into the metal. It must have been more than he had ever released before, because the generator soared to life and lights began to glow inside the house.

"Yeee haw! It worked!" yelled Dr. Mirren patting Raiden on the back and smiling. "Now I want you to pull it back."

They boy must have taken what the doctor said literally. He had meant to say—stop the flow of energy into the metal. But Raiden did the opposite of pushing the energy, and began to pull it.

The lights inside the house began to burst as he strained to control it. The small piece of metal pulled all the energy from the house, then it began to siphon energy from other sources in the area; the electric plow in the field shut down and the lights in the barn went off. The area around Raiden's hand began to grow dark as the stone pulled the surrounding energy—including light—into it and back into him.

Dr. Mirren watched, with his jaw open. Raiden seemed frozen in place. It was like he was in a trance. It was only several seconds, but it seemed much longer. Dr. Mirren quickly came to his senses and knocked the metal from Raiden's hand. It was over that quick.

"Are you OK?" asked Dr. Mirren.

"Er... yeah. What just happened?"

"I think we just made a major discovery," said a very excited Dr. Mirren. He paced around thinking to himself. If the flow of energy can be pulled in by the metal...and amplified...we may be able to create an energy shield that could hold off the Ferals!

"This is major, my boy. We really stumbled on something here. I need to do more research."

Dr. Mirren spent the remainder of the day typing things into a small computer device he had brought with him.

That evening he announced that he needed to go back to the city, to conduct some tests. He thought he had a solution to stop the war. He told the family he would come back in due time, but this was of great importance. Aiko pleaded with him to stay and run the tests at the farm, but Dr. Mirren needed his lab inside the city. He tried to convince the family to come with him, but Aiko would not leave her home. She felt that the city was against most of her morals and she would wait for him on the farm.

So, it was just like that. They watched Dr. Mirren leave. He had swooped into their lives, and left just as abruptly.

*****

After all these months, he was finally returning to the farm, but this was not how he envisioned it. He wasn't coming back to visit or stay. He was coming back to hide.

3 Raiden

Late in the day on a cold winter afternoon, the boy called Raiden was working on his daily chores for the farm. The overcast, gray sky looked as if it would snow, and the cold, mushy ground would soon turn solid. His two older brothers were working inside the barn. Jin and Lucas, were nearly inseparable. At twelve years old, Jin acted more mature than his age; he had the pleasure of being the oldest with the most responsibility. Lucas always seemed to be helping Jin, he was two years younger, but pulled his own weight around the farm.

Raiden worked alone digging a hole for a fence post. As he pushed the shovel into the soft ground, he noticed someone walking toward the farm off in the distance. He watched the figure approach until he recognized it was his friend Dr. Mirren. Seeing him on foot was strange, and he appeared to be in a hurry.

Dr. Mirren waved to Raiden as he got closer. The boy dropped the shovel and raced out to greet him.

"Hello, young man," Dr. Mirren said in his usual courteous tone. "I hope you have been well," he said and shook the boy's smaller hand as if he were an adult. Raiden always liked how the doctor treated him with respect.

"I suspect your mother is around. I would very much like to speak with her," he said.

"She's just inside. She's been wondering when you would return. She'll be happy to see you. Come on. Let's go." Raiden ran up ahead, laying down a path of heavy footsteps from the large boots he wore over his feet.

Mom greeted the doctor with hugs and kisses, obviously glad to see him after the long eight months he had been away. The two had become romantically involved during the time he had stayed with them earlier.

They went into another room to discuss something important. After a lengthy amount of time, they both came out of the room and called the three brothers over to them.

Mom did not look happy. "Boys, Stephen is in trouble. He needs to stay here until things calm down in the city. In the meantime, I don't want you to tell anyone that he is here. Understood?"

Raiden nodded in agreement along with his two brothers. It was like a game to him, a big game of hide-and-go-seek. It sounded fun. Dr. Mirren would hide at their farm and they would pretend he wasn't around.

Over the next few days, they turned the barn cellar into a hiding room for Dr. Mirren. They kept a watchful eye for any strangers, but it was unlikely that anyone would know where to find the tiny farm at the edge of the borders.

Dr. Mirren spent most of his time fiddling with a cylindrical object that he had built while he was in the city. He explained how the object had put him in danger, that he couldn't let it fall into the hands of the Insiders. If they used his invention, it would cause great harm to the world.

One day Raiden sat at the table playing cards. It was a bright and sunny, yet briskly cold winter afternoon. Jin, his oldest brother, came bursting into the kitchen out of breath. "Momma, strangers."

Mom and Dr. Mirren exchanged a quick glance at one another before he jumped up and grabbed his backpack. "How far away?"

"They're just over the ridge. I saw them while I was fixing one of the fence posts. You can still get to the cellar."

"Good, all of you follow me." He ran out the back door toward the barn. As the family followed, Dr. Mirren gave out instructions. "Remember, try to act normal. Be polite and most importantly, don't do anything to put yourselves in harm's way." He kissed Mom lightly on the lips and told her to be careful before he disappeared into the darkness of the barn cellar.

The brothers tried to act busy and Mom resumed working in the kitchen. As three men came into sight, Jin and Lucas stopped what they were doing and waited for the men to get closer. Raiden ran up onto the porch while Jin and Lucas waited for the soldiers to approach.

The three men wore AOCC military uniforms. Each man carried weapons that they held casually. As they got closer, one of the men raised his hand to wave in greeting. The brothers waved back to confirm that they were friendly.

"Hello boys," called out the closest soldier as he approached. "We'd like to have a word with you and your family if that is OK?"

Mom emerged from the house and put her arms around Raiden protectively. "It's OK boys; let them come up."

The soldiers were young, in their mid twenties, but they all seemed battle-hardened. Two out of the three men were of average size, but the third was a large menacing black man. He looked scary to Raiden.

Mom greeted them kindly. "Hello gentlemen, we don't usually see many strangers out this way. What can we do for you?"

The confident, handsome soldier in front said, "Morning Ma'am, my name is Lieutenant Timburk." He pointed to his left, at a thin man that could have passed for a sixteen year old kid. "This is Private Taylor, and the big fella here is Private Jones. We are looking for someone. We had hoped that you might be able to help us. Have you seen this man?" He took out a digital photo of Dr. Mirren. "He may have just been passing through... Or if he's staying with you, even better."

Mom took a moment to look at the photo. "No. I'm sorry. We haven't seen anyone around here lately outside of you, gentlemen. Like I said, we don't get many visitors out here."

"Understood, Mrs....?"

"Smith," said Mom.

"OK, Mrs. Smith. Would your husband happen to be around?"

"My husband was killed about five years ago. He was a soldier like you. It's just the four of us now, but we manage just fine."

"Sorry to hear that... about your husband that is. We don't want to intrude, but if it's OK, we would like to set up camp back over the ridge there and conduct our search around this area."

"That will be fine. I would offer you the house or the barn, but there is really no space."

"No, Ma'am, we are perfectly fine with our camp. We have very good equipment and we don't want to intrude. We'll be out of your way as soon as we can."

"Well, if you're going to be around, it wouldn't be polite if I didn't invite you to have dinner with us this evening. Will you please join us and fill us in with any news?"

"Why thank you, Ma'am. We could use a good home-cooked meal. It would be our pleasure."

"How about coming back around five o'clock? We eat a bit early, due to the time of year."

"We'll look forward to it. See you then."

The two others nodded in acceptance and the three of them departed back over the ridge to set up their base camp. Mom waited until they were out of sight, then she went to give Dr. Mirren the news.

The soldiers returned precisely at five p.m. They were greeted by Jin and led into the dining room where the place settings awaited them. The large formal table had eight place settings and the group of seven found them seated comfortably. As the soldiers took their seats they found a glass of cold milk and a glass of water waiting for each of them. Jin, Lucas and Raiden brought out a dish of food and set it on the table.

Once all the food had been brought out, they joined the soldiers and sat down. The first dish passed around was a heaping mound of red skinned smashed potatoes dripping with butter. The second was a healthy amount of green beans lightly salted, and the third, a mass of fried chicken with a peppery breaded coating on each plump piece. Lastly, a plate of warm golden brown biscuits sliced in half and filled with a thin slice of butter, made its way around the table. Mom said a short prayer and we all dug in.

Before Raiden took his first bite, he looked out over the feast in front of him, seeing more food than he had ever seen at his table. As he surveyed the feast, he noticed Lieutenant Timburk looking at his mother. Raiden was only a young boy, but he could tell by how the man was looking at her that something wasn't right about it. Lieutenant Timburk chewed his food slowly staring at mom and looking at her chest. He noticed Raiden was watching him, he winked at the boy and dove into his food.

Only the sounds of silverware and plates clanking filled the room as everyone focused on dinner. Eventually conversation started and the soldiers continuously thanked Mom for making them dinner. They came dressed without their heavy armor and only carried light side arms. As their bellies began to grow the conversation began to pick up.

It was Lieutenant Timburk, who led the conversation. "So, Mrs. Smith... how is it that you are able to live this far out? I mean, how is it that your family doesn't get attacked by Ferals?"

"I'm not exactly sure, Lieutenant. We don't bother them and they don't bother us."

"So you're saying you don't have any problems with the monsters at all?"

"Yes, that is correct. I don't know why they don't bother us; they just don't come on the property."

"That's the strangest thing I've ever heard. I've never seen them leave humans of any kind alone. There must be something you are doing. People would pay a lot of money to know your secret, you know."

She looked down at the table. "We're not really interested in money, Lieutenant. We like it the way it is just fine.

"I'm sure you do, and it's a nice home you have here, but you could make some serious money. I could get you in touch with the right people."

"That's quite alright. Like I said, we're just fine. We hope that you will respect our wishes and leave our little home a secret from your big city."

"I understand. You're not really a big fan of the hustle and bustle?"

"That's one way to put it," she agreed. "We do make our way into town for supplies and what not. But this is our home and this is where we will stay. Isn't that right, boys?"

They all mumbled their agreements. Raiden kept his head low. He was used to trying to stay out of sight when he was around strangers, due to his condition. These men made him feel uncomfortable.

The man named Taylor kept staring at him. Finally, he spoke up. "Your boy their Ma'am, he's a bit different isn't he? His eyes... They're totally white? Is he blind?"

"No, sir. He can see just fine. My boy is special, that's all." She gently rubbed Raiden's smooth, hairless head.

Taylor continued to press. "Is he an albino, or what?"

"He has a... I don't know... a condition. It makes it so that he can't grow any hair."

"Interesting," said Timburk as he leaned closer toward Raiden. "He has a condition huh? Could he possibly be an Ultra?"

"I don't know what that is, Lieutenant. He can do all the things his brothers can."

Timburk didn't seem to buy it. "Well boy, can you do anything special? Like throwing a baseball really far or anything?"

Raiden shook his head. He didn't want to talk to this man.

"It's OK to be special," said Timburk, "You see the three of us, we are all special too. We can all do things that others can't. Take for instance Taylor here. He is a special tracker. That means he can find just about anyone, anywhere. Is there something you can do like that?"

Raiden didn't reply, but his mother did. "He doesn't have any kind of special powers if that's what you're asking. He is just a good boy." She placed her arm around his shoulder and leaned down toward him. "He can practice being good, by starting to clear the table."

Timburk smiled at him as he took his plate. Raiden didn't like it when he looked at him. It felt as if Timburk was trying to invade his mind.

"As I mentioned, Mrs. Smith, Taylor here is a tracker. We have been tracking this man as we told you earlier, and for some reason, we lost the trail once we got close to your property. We spent the afternoon trying to find the trail, but we haven't had much success. Are you sure you haven't seen anyone around these parts at all?"

"No. We haven't. You are actually the first visitors we've had in years."

Raiden knew his mom didn't like to lie, but she was only trying to protect Dr. Mirren.

"Well, we plan on trying to pick the trail back up on the other side of your property tomorrow. Maybe he passed through here, without you knowing." Timburk glanced at Taylor.

Mom brushed her long dark hair to the side. "I guess that's possible, but we have not seen anyone. I'm sorry we can't be of any more help."

"Nonsense, you've cooked us this wonderful meal. That is more than enough help in itself. We'll get it straightened out tomorrow."

"I hope you do," she said. "Just who is this man you are looking for, and what did he do?"

"He's a scientist. And we need his help. We're just supposed to locate him and help him in any way we can. The man's name is Dr. Stephen Mirren and he is an important man. We hope it's not too late to lend him a hand."

She played along. "So what is he doing? You are all soldiers, is he dangerous?"

"No, Ma'am, of course not. He's only a scientist. We are simply instructed to protect him. He thinks he needs to be alone to complete his work, but my superiors fear for his life away from the city. So... are you absolutely sure you've seen no one?"

Raiden knew his mom was no dummy. She was not about to give up Dr. Mirren to this sweet-talking stranger. Dr. Mirren had warned them about these men, and they trusted him above all. "Sorry. No we haven't. But, I hope you find him, Lieutenant. Now would you care for some desert? I made fresh apple pie."

"Would we ever," he said rather bubbly.

She served them all a healthy slice of fresh apple pie. The silent big man had shown little expression through the entire dinner, but he allowed a small smile when the slice of pie was set in front of him.

"I see we have found your weakness, Private," she commented.

Private Jones just dove into his pie and Timburk again spoke in his place, "Jones doesn't say much. He just does the heavy lifting for us. But you might be right, Mrs. Smith. That pie might be the undoing of this man." He laughed lightly as he took a bite of his own dessert.

When they finished they all thanked Mom for a wonderful meal and a wonderful evening, then they bundled back up and plunged back out into the cold and headed back toward their camp.

The next morning, the sun had not quite risen yet when Raiden heard his mom get up. She went out to the barn to be with Dr. Mirren. Raiden didn't like being in the house with only his brothers, so he followed her outside. She must have went in the barn and climbed down in the cellar to see Dr. Mirren. He tried the door, but it was locked, so he crept over to one of the horse stalls to lie down in some hay.

He thought about his mom as he covered himself up with the golden straws. She was a complex woman. She was trying to protect more than just their family. She had a deep respect for nature itself, something she believed in whole heartedly, it was why they lived out away from civilization. If what Dr. Mirren told them was true, the soldiers threatened to take away everything she believed in; they threatened the very world itself.

Raiden would help her fight, he thought to himself as he began to drift off to sleep.

He woke up as he heard the creek of the cellar door. He saw Mom closing it and he was about to call out to her when he heard another voice.

"Good morning, Mrs. Smith," said Lieutenant Timburk.

Mom jumped at the sound of his voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Just wanted to say hello."

Raiden could feel goose bumps rise on the back of my neck at the sound of his voice. He stayed as quiet as he could.

"No, it's alright," said Mom, "I didn't think anyone was up this early. I was just fetching something from the cellar. Is there something I can do for you, Lieutenant?"

"Well as you know, we are checking in and around the area for Dr. Mirren. My two comrades are off checking the other side of the property to try and pick up the trail. If Mirren passed through here and headed off in another direction, they will pick up the scent and we'll be on our way." He casually walked over to fiddle with a pitchfork that hung on the wall. "But... I don't believe they will find anything. What I believe is that he's right here. Staying with you."

Raiden's heart skipped a beat as he listened from his hiding spot.

"I told you already, we haven't—"

"Yes, I know what you told me, and I also know that you are lying. If you would come clean, everything will be OK. Please just tell me where the doctor is hiding."

Raiden noticed a change in his voice, a slight deepening.

"Lieutenant, Please. You're making a mistake," said Mom as she zipped her winter jacket up tighter.

"Oh no, I'm not. I know he is here. But don't worry, it's OK; we just want to help him."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you," said Mom. She sounded desperate. "You are mistaken, we have not seen anyone."

Timburk sounded irritated. "We both know he is here. Now tell me where he is!"

"I will not get into this with you. I—"

"Oh yes you will, Mrs. Smith. I have a knack for sensing these types of things."

"Your senses are off on this one," she said harshly. "Because there is no one here but myself and the boys. I think you should leave now, Lieutenant."

He didn't move. "You are correct about my senses being off. I have the ability to persuade people into giving me the information I want. For some reason you are able to defy me. This is strange. I have not run across someone like you before. No matter, I still know he is here and I want you to tell me where he is. NOW!"

Raiden was really getting scared as Timburk walked toward Mom and grabbed her by the arms. "TELL ME!" he shouted.

"Let go of me," said Mom as she fought against him.

"You will tell me where he is."

She brought her knee up into his crotch, in one swift movement. Timburk doubled over in pain.

"You shouldn't have done that," he squeaked.

It took him a moment to compose himself as Mom took several steps back. Then, in a quick movement, he sprang forward and backhanded her across the face. Mom fell to the ground. Raiden wanted to cry out, but he gritted his teeth and held his tongue.

"I think someone needs to teach you some manners," he said as he bent over and grabbed the front of her jacket. "When I ask you a question, you will give me the answer I want."

He lifted her upward and swung his other fist downward. She tied to block the blow, but his fist still came forward and it crunched into the side of her face. Then he reached back and punched her again, this time splitting her lip and mashing her nose.

Tears began to stream down Raiden's face as he watched, frozen in terror as this man pounded on his mother.

Raiden watched in horror as Timburk ripped open her jacket and her blouse. He hit her again, and then he flipped her long dress up over her hips and pulled open her legs. Raiden watched him rip her undergarments off... and he undid his pants.

It was the worst moment of his life. It was something that would haunt him forever. He felt the rage boil up inside of him as he watched Timburk mounted on top of his mother. The rage overtook his fear and he screamed, "MOMMA!"

The loud scream caused the man to stop and back away. Mom began to recover slowly. Raiden's breath was heavy, his heart was beating, he saw the man saying something, but he didn't hear him. He couldn't move.

Suddenly, the cellar door flew open and Dr. Mirren emerged from the dark, with a gun in his hand. Timburk's eyes widened at the sight of him. He quickly reached down and pulled out a gun of his own. The two men faced each other with guns pointed.

"What have you done?" Dr. Mirren asked.

"I've accomplished my mission," said Timburk.

Dr. Mirren looked at the battered woman, and then he faced Timburk. "You will pay for what you have done," his voice shaky with emotion. "You low-life piece of garbage. I should shoot you right now."

"Now, now, Dr. Mirren, I have two other soldiers with me and we don't want anyone to get hurt, do we?"

"It sure looks like someone is already hurt to me. I should unload this gun right into your chest. These are armor-piercing rounds and I would love to see what they can do."

Timburk reinforced his aim toward Dr. Mirren. "In case you didn't notice, I have a gun also. So make your move."

Raiden wasn't sure what to do himself. He was still too horrified to move.

Mom had come to her senses, by this time. While Timburk and Mirren faced each other, she reached for a heavy piece of steel pole that lay against the wall. She gripped the metal in her hand and swung the pole with all her might at Timburk's nearest leg. The pole smashed into the side of his knee and bent it in a sickly, awkward position. He yelled in pain as he crumpled to the ground.

Raiden liked seeing him in pain.

Mom scrambled over him and grabbed the gun that had fallen from his hand. She spun around with the gun pointed at him only to see that his communication arm-thingy was blinking.

She yelled to Raiden to go and get his brothers. He was so scared; his mother was hurt and the soldiers were coming. He forced himself up and ran to the house as fast as he could.

Just as he was about to run up the stairs of the front porch, he noticed his two brothers standing in front of him. A huge figure towered behind them. The scary black man, Jones, pushed Jin and Lucas forward and down from the porch. Taylor was behind them carrying a rifle and a shotgun they had obviously taken from the brothers.

"Take us to the doctor," said the big man in a deep voice.

Raiden's heart pounded madly in his chest. He did what he was commanded to do and led them back to the barn where Dr. Mirren had Lieutenant Timburk held at gunpoint. When Dr. Mirren saw the brothers being held by the other two soldiers, he called for them to stop. "I don't want this to go any further, I will give you what you want. Let the family be."

"Give us the core," Jones demanded from the entryway of the barn.

Dr. Mirren paused to think, then he replied, "OK. I'll get it for you, but you'll have to follow me. It's hidden."

Mom grabbed his arm. "I won't let you do this, Stephen. You said it would harm the rest of the world. Haven't we humans already caused enough damage to the earth, must we harm her more?"

"I'm sorry, Aiko. It's the only way. I thought I could fix it, but I can't. And I won't allow you and the boys to be harmed because of me. I'm sorry."

Raiden was sure his mom wanted to stop Dr. Mirren from giving them what they wanted, but she remained silent. She followed behind him as he led the group outside. Taylor helped Timburk to his feet, and the lieutenant used a rifle to limp his way out of the barn.

The sky had grown overcast and it had begun to snow lightly. Dr. Mirren led them to the pond in the back of the farm where a small dock stretched out into the ice-covered water. Dr. Mirren walked out onto the dock, reached down, and lifted a chain that was fastened to the wood. The chain fell below the surface of the solid, icy surface. He pulled, breaking the ice and reeled in several lengths of chain before he got to the end. With one final yank, he dislodged the end of the chain from the ice. He grabbed the rusty cage at the end of the chain and pulled out a gleaming silver cylinder from inside.

"Ah, at last," said Timburk. He winced as he reached for the cylinder. "Hand it over."

Dr. Mirren hesitated and spun it around in his hands, as if he were searching one last time, looking for the answer that would solve the problem. But it was not to be. He handed the core to Timburk, his eyes filled with hatred. Timburk admired it for a moment, and then he limped back away from the family and put the core in his backpack. When he was finished, he rose to his feet and lifted the rifle to his shoulder. He spoke in a cold voice, "We have what we want. Kill them all."

"No!" screamed Dr. Mirren and he lifted his pistol to fire at Timburk. The big man Jones was faster, he swung a large metal war hammer that slammed into Dr. Mirren's wrist, shattering the bones and flinging the gun out onto the frozen pond.

Jones stood perfectly still staring at the doctor with the ruined hand. Taylor turned toward Timburk with an apprehensive look. Timburk stared back at him, "You heard me, private. There are to be no survivors. Do your job!"

Taylor hesitated. He looked at us as if he had to put down an injured animal. Still carrying Jin's weapons, holstered over his shoulder, he lifted his own weapon toward us. Before he could decide what to do, Mom charged him. It was unexpected and she crashed into him knocking him over. "RUN!" She yelled.

It all happened so fast. The shotgun fell from Taylor's shoulder and Jin jumped for it. Taylor pushed my mother off of him and rolled to his knees. He fired at Jin with his own weapon. Raiden saw a spray of red liquid explode out of Jin's back and he knew his brother was gone.

Lucas and Raiden did what their mother commanded. They ran. Timburk fired at them as they tried to flee. Lucas fell to the ground clutching his leg. Raiden turned to help him, but a bullet sailed by his head. Lucas told him to go.

Scared and crying, he refused to leave Lucas behind. He ducked down low to avoid any further shots.

Mom still carried the pistol she had taken from Timburk and she squeezed the trigger over and over toward Timburk. Most of the bullets glanced off his shoulder and chest armor harmlessly, but one clipped his arm. It was enough to make him stop firing. Raiden saw her adjust her aim toward Timburk's head for the killing shot, when Taylor's hammer struck. Time seemed like it slowed as he saw the hammer crash into her head. It sent a cloud of red mist into the air. Raiden cried out as her lifeless form fell to the ground.

Shock took over, Raiden's body went numb and he sat frozen in his spot. Jin was dead... his mother was dead... It was too much, he felt light headed as Lucas tried to shoo him away. He vomited onto the snowy ground.

With one last effort, he reached out with all of his powers, trying anything he could...and in that instant he felt her presence wash over him; like a form of energy. He didn't know if it came from her or from within him, but he felt her one last time.

He forced himself to look up and he saw Dr. Mirren had scrambled out onto the ice to retrieve his armor-piecing gun. He wanted him to reach it. He saw his fingers close around the grip. He lifted his arm and turned to fire with his good hand, and then he fell. The big man, Jones, had moved to the edge of the pond, swung his war hammer down onto the ice and caused the surface to shatter, sending Dr. Mirren into the icy depths.

Timburk, now wounded in two places, command Taylor to follow the boys and kill them. Taylor did not hesitate this time. Raiden could see him coming toward him.

He helped Lucas to his feet and they headed for the forest. Taylor closed quickly. He fired his weapon and hit Raiden's wounded brother in the back. Lucas slumped over in his arms and Raiden cried out again. His world crashed in around him. He let his instincts take over. He didn't want to die. He dropped his dead brother and ran for the woods with Taylor closing in behind.

It had started to snow more heavily as Raiden entered the forest. He ran headlong without hesitation away from his pursuer. He didn't notice as he passed by the first creature. As he ran further, he soon noticed other movement within the steady falling of the snow. Shapes moved around him. One passed right by without pause. It had to have been a Feral. The monsters had heard the gunfire. They ignored Raiden as he tucked himself down near a tree. He watched the long limbed, pale-grey forms move through the forest.

Taylor had nearly caught up, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw the Ferals. Raiden could hear him call for back-up through the radio on his suit. He retreated back through the woods in a hurry.

The snow began to cover Raiden as he sat huddled up on the ground. By himself in the forest. Alone.

Twenty-five years later.

4 Jathen

A few hopeless fireflies still twinkled around a decaying parking lot of a large, weathered stadium in the late summer twilight. A scattering of dried-up weeds poked through the dusty, concrete ground, reminding those that passed how long the drought had lasted. A withered plant crunched under the foot of a lone, inconspicuous figure as he walked toward the gate.

The solitary man named Jathen Fields had an air of mystique about him. He was a newcomer to these parts, largely unknown, with whispers and rumors regarding who he was and what he could do following him wherever he went. Coming from somewhere out west, he had lived here in the town of Columbus for the past year. Since his arrival, he had kept mostly to himself, making his living with side jobs and the occasional prizefight.

Tonight that was all about to change. Jathen was headlining a mixed martial arts contest he hoped would bring him the recognition he longed for. His opponent, a man named Cons "The Scarlet Fury" Savage, was a rough, tough individual with a big name in the sport. When the original opponent had gotten sick, Jathen was able to step in and take the fight. It was a great opportunity, a chance to finally make a name for himself.

Jathen stepped carefully through the pothole-filled, broken-up parking lot toward the entrance of the stadium. He walked with athletic grace, weaving his way through a symmetrical pattern of rusty poles, each mounted with thin, digital monitors.

As he closed in on the nearest screen, the picture glowed with an unrecognizable advertisement for the evening's entertainment. He wanted to see his picture featured in the main event, but the screen flickered and went black, leaving only his reflection. He ran his hand back through his short, brown hair noticing how rough his two-day old growth looked. Well Jathen, you've come a long ways, he thought, as he looked at himself in the screen. You may not look a whole lot different than everyone else, but you are different. Time to show them what you can do.

The crowd began to thicken as an array of others joined him in his march across the fading surface. People had come from all over to see tonight's particular event. A portion arrived off the Magna-Rail Transit System and others came from the surrounding town. Some spectators had even come from inside.

Jathen was clearly an Outsider. He had never been to Cleveland. Encased inside a large, technologically advanced superdome called Sky Canopy, this city effectively placed its citizens inside. He had always wanted to see the gargantuan mega-city— especially after all the stories he had heard about it. With its electromagnetic shield, Cleveland was a beacon of hope in these bleak times of despair. It was overcrowded and hard to gain entrance to, but Jathen thought he had figured out a way in. He hoped a win tonight would turn a few authoritative heads, landing him a fight within the city.

He noticed a few stragglers from the crowd looking his way. Maybe they had seen one of his earlier fights. Maybe they knew who he was. Maybe they had even come to see him fight tonight. Nah, more likely they saw him as a loner and an easy target. Someone they could mug or pickpocket. He didn't have anything valuable and if they tried to get violent, it would be their mistake. He gripped his bag tighter and continued toward the gate.

The stadium resided in the far West part of the town, pushed up against the tall, dark-gray steel and stone blockade that surrounded Columbus. The stadium itself served as part of the town's defenses. The old structure formed a natural inner barrier if needed. By sealing off the open end, the stadium became a last round of defense should the outer wall get breached.

Columbus had certainly shrunk in comparison to what it once was. The old downtown area had been abandoned and the town where Jathen lived was located further north, several miles away from the skeletal remains of the old sky-scrapers.

The high outside wall encircling the post-Feral Columbus, created the first line of defense. Crowned with gun turrets and defensive robotic mechanisms, the wall protected the people from the Ferals. It was no Sky Canopy, but it served its purpose.

Jathen glanced at one of the lonely guards. The man sat at his gun turret and stared off toward the hazy horizon, toward the borders where the Ferals lurked, watching for movement. Hopefully it will be uneventful tonight, Buddy, thought Jathen sympathetically. I can't think of a worse night for a Feral raid.

The air was very warm and humid as the last rays of light in the summer twilight gave way to darkness. Jathen walked under the gate and observed the mass of people that began to crowd into the crumbling concrete and steel structure. I'm sure we won't fill this baby up, but that's a lot of people in one spot.

He looked around inside the weathered stadium; it was a wonder the thing still stood. The floor was ragged and uneven, but solid where it met the sides of the interior. The chipped and pockmarked walls rose up into the gloom of the decaying underside, and crammed against them was a line of ragged food stands. He was about to head toward the locker room when he spotted several familiar faces. Two men and a young girl stood near the left of the entrance by the food stands. He slipped through the crowd and approached them from behind. He gripped the first man on the shoulder.

The man was slightly startled until he turned and recognized who had grabbed him. "Jathen. I was hoping we would catch you before this thing begins."

"Looks like I caught you," said Jathen. "Glad you could make it out, Stanly. You too, Tan." He clasped each man's hand in turn. Stanly was a middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and a graying beard. He had kind eyes over a round, pug nose. Tan was younger with a rougher appearance; he had a five-o'clock shadow covering his heavy chin, yet he had the same kind eyes as Stanly. Both men wore cargo shorts and muted T-shirts.

Jathen shifted his gaze to the girl, "I am especially happy that the young Miss Jassette has come along with you."

The nine-year-old girl blushed and looked down at the ground. He liked teasing her, trying to get her to come out of her shell. She shifted her long brown ponytail that fit through the back of her baseball hat. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a red T-shirt. She was a cute kid, but she had a rather plain, tomboy appearance.

"We wouldn't miss it, Jathen," said Stanly. "We'll be cheering for you all the way."

"Hey, I appreciate it. Glad I have at least some support. I don't know if there is a single person in the whole place that knows who I am other than you guys. By the way, where is Tilda?"

"She couldn't make it." Stanly answered with a sympathetic nod of his head. "Tonight was supposed to be a family outing, but Tilda has been feeling kind of tired as of late. She decided to just stay home and get some sleep. In her place she sent Tan here, who was more than happy to join us for your match."

"Well, I hope she feels better. Sad to hear she couldn't make it, but good to see you, Tan."

"Likewise, Jathen. Good luck tonight."

"He doesn't need luck," said Jassette. "He makes his own."

Jathen raised an eyebrow, surprised by her response. "I taught you well, young lady. You're right—I don't need luck. All I need are these." He clinched his fists and brought them up into a fighting position.

Stanly smirked. "Cocky as ever. You're definitely not lacking in confidence.

"Can't win without confidence," Jathen said with a couple light jabs. "All these people that are cheering for the other guy, they'll be cheering for me when it's over. You watch and see."

"We'll be watching." Stanly turned toward the machines. "Hey, it looks like we're next in line. Can you hang around a minute, Jathen? Do you want anything?"

"No thanks, but I have time before I need to start warming up. Go ahead and do your thing."

Jathen walked over and stood near the edge of the food machine as Stanly ordered. A ghostly hologram of a man in a white suit flickered into view in front of Stanly. A beaten old menu on the left featured all sorts of flavors of hot dogs: cheese, chili, sour cream & onion, buffalo, etc... Nothing sounded too appetizing to Jathen. He wasn't sure how he felt about food that came out of a machine. Was the stuff even edible?

The semi-transparent man nodded his head in greeting as Stanly stood in front. "Hello, welcome to Quick & Tasty. How may I help you this evening?"

"We'll take three hot dogs and three drinks," Stanly answered.

Jathen watched the two interact and his mind wondered back to when he had first arrived in Columbus. It seemed like only yesterday that Stanly and his family had given Jathen a place to stay, but it felt like he had known them forever.

"...Two beers and one Tropical Blast Lite, please" said Stanly.

The holo-clerk paused, as if there was a glitch in his programming. "Would you like Budweiser, Bud light, Bud Gold, Bud Silver, Bud Hometown, Bud Europa, Bud Café, Bud Strawberry, Bud Lime..."

Jathen reached into his worn, light-green bag and fumbled around for his canteen. His fingers closed around the cool metal object and he pulled it out. He lifted the dark-green water bottle with faded AOCC lettering to his lips and filled his mouth with water.

"...And how about your hot dog, sir? There are fourteen flavors to choose from with an assortment of toppings. Shall I tell you the options?" said the reverberating voice of the holo-clerk.

"No, no," answered Stanly, clearly beginning to get impatient. "Just ketchup and mustard is fine."

Tan nudged Jathen with his arm. "What do you think of this place? No offense, but I wish there was some other form of entertainment than just this. This place is falling apart."

"Yeah, it doesn't look so good, although it is safer than playing tag with the Ferals. It just gives the people something to do, some entertainment. Besides, who wouldn't want to watch me kick some ass?"

Tan smiled and shook his head. "No one my friend... no one."

"...Very good and will that be all or would you like to upsize for just thirty-seven twenty-five?"

Jathen stuffed the canteen back into his bag and waited for Stanly to finish his order. After a few more exchanges, Stanly placed his thumb on a glowing blue scanner. A confirmation sound signaled that the machine had scanned him successfully. A message flashed up on the digital screen: THANK YOU, MR. WILFORD, PLEASE STOP BY OUR TASTY-FRY STAND AND TRY SOME OF OUR DELICIOUS FLAVORED FRENCH FRIES.

The phantom holo-clerk moved like a mime, as if he were making the hot dogs and pouring the drinks himself. Several moments later, a small door opened in the top of the counter and a tray with the order came up from below. Stanly took his order and handed out the hot dogs and drinks.

"Thank you for eating at Quick and Tasty!" said the holo-clerk. Stanly nodded carelessly in reply.

"Thanks, bro. I don't get hot dogs and Bud Light very often," said Tan.

"Hey, it's my treat. You work hard at keeping the town safe. Being a Border Patrolman is no easy job. I'll take my job at the factory any time."

Jathen had respect for Tan and those who served on the Border Patrol. They were the Outsiders' defense against the Ferals, the front line for humanity.

There was a point when Jathen arrived in Columbus that he thought about joining the Border Patrol. He could help them with his unnatural talents. He had fought the Ferals before and he would be a strong asset on the patrol. But the more he had thought about it, the more he realized that he came here to get into Cleveland, not form up with another military-like outfit. If that was all he wanted, then he should have stayed out west. Cleveland was his goal, but first he had to get in.

He wished there was a way he could bring his friends with him. "You know what, guys? We need to find a way for all of us to move up to Cleveland. Forget this old beat-up stadium. You guys can come watch me in style. Inside."

"Yeah... That would be nice," said Tan absentmindedly as he glanced out toward the big, grey wall.

"Hey Tan," said Jathen. "I know you're part of the Patrol, but you can relax tonight. Let the other guys do their job. Enjoy yourself. Have some fun."

Tan forced a smile, "Sorry, just a habit of mine. There have been some reports about extra Feral activity lately. But, I'm sure everything will be fine."

Jassette had a sad look on her face. "Why do the Ferals have to mess up everything?"

The others laughed and Tan replied. "Yeah, they're good at that."  
"Daddy? Where do the Ferals come from anyway?" she asked turning her sad eyes on Stanly.  
"Well, honey, I'm not sure I have a good answer for that. There are lots of theories and ideas, but I don't think there has ever been any real answer."  
"But they had to come from somewhere, didn't they?"  
Stanly took a bite of his hot dog and thought about the question for a minute. "Well, all I've heard is that they were discovered way far away down south. I know that at first the scientists just thought they were a new species and they wanted to study them, but soon they started appearing all over and causing all kinds of problems. They hurt and killed lots and lots of people."  
"Yeah, I know all about their emergence and the Border Wars and everything. They taught us some stuff in school." She added with a dramatic teen-girl eye-roll that was beyond her years. "I know that everything used to be different. We could live wherever we wanted... It wasn't so dangerous... I know about all that kind of stuff. I just want to know why that all changed. They never say why the Ferals want to kill us humans?"  
Tan answered the question. "We just don't know, kiddo. At least none of us pee-ons... As far as I can tell, they could be aliens or demons or monsters from another dimension or something." He took a sip of his beer. "Maybe they want us for food, or they want to be the dominant species on the planet." He scratched his head nearly spilling some of his beer. "I'm sure someone out there has a better answer than me, but that's the gist. We just try to keep them away from us, so we can live our lives." He took a big bite of his Quick & Tasty Dog sandwich. As he chewed, he made a sour face.  
"So how tasty is that thing, Buddy?" asked Jathen.  
"Tastes like shit—Oops. Sorry, Jassette."  
"I'm used to your potty mouth," she said with a glare. "But really, why do we always have to be afraid?"  
"We don't always have to be afraid," said Tan as he choked down the bite and chased it with more beer. "Are you scared about tonight?"  
"Maybe just a little," she confessed.

"Well, you don't have to worry. There will be extra protection all around for the big event here tonight," said Tan. "I know the Border Patrol has extra men on guard and this stadium is one of the safest places in town."

Jathen grabbed Tan's shoulder. "Just like I told your Tasty-Dog-eating uncle here Jassette, tonight all you need to do is sit back and watch me become a star."

"Why don't you join the Border Patrol, Jathen? You're really tough; you can protect us all from the Ferals," asked Jassette.

Jathen put his hand on her shoulder. "They don't need any big mouths like me."

"No, seriously... I know all these people are here to see your fight tonight, but you could do more than entertain them. You could be our protector. You could get famous by defeating the Ferals. You could be a hero."

"I'm just one guy. And I'm certainly no hero. It would take a whole lot more than just me to defeat the Ferals." He bent down and looked into her eyes. "I'll tell you what, I can promise you this: if you're ever in trouble, I'll be there to protect you. Any Ferals appear tonight, I'll come right to your rescue. But in return, you have to cheer as loud as you can when I get introduced. Deal?"

She smiled. "Deal."

Jathen took a step back. "I have to go guys. Need to go get warmed up. Wish me luck."

"You got it, Buddy," said Stanly. "We'll see you after the fight."

_5_ _Vander_

Vander Lee walked through the crowded stadium and thought to himself, Great. I could be home preparing for the council meeting, but instead I've chosen to have beers spilled in my lap and loud obnoxious children shouting in my ear all night. He rarely came to the Horseshoe himself, but he wanted to see what all the big-fight fuss was about. The rumor around town was that the challenger was an Ultra. He didn't know the man's name, but he was curious to see what type of skills this new comer possessed.

Vander said hello to several people as he passed by. He was quite familiar with many faces in the crowd. He was a politician of sorts.

Vander had been chosen as the Outside Representative to go up North to the city of Cleveland for the annual meeting with the AOCC Council. His job was to ask for and receive a shipment of food and medical supplies for the outside world. Due to an extended drought, the Outsiders needed plenty of support. The meeting was just a few days away and a public appearance would serve well to remind them that help was on the way.

He warmly greeted anyone who recognized him. He wanted to make a strong showing at this public event. Standing with proper posture, he smoothed out his dark, button-up shirt and made sure it was properly tucked into his khaki shorts. He slicked back his jet-black hair with one hand. The wind-blown look did not bode well for someone of his level of importance.

He noticed the dying vegetation that still clung to the floor and walls of the stadium. Pieces of concrete had broken away to reveal the rusted steel girders holding things together underneath. He stepped cautiously by a hole in the floor making sure to pass on the far side. Several spots really needed some work, but there were simply no resources to fix it. If he wanted to see the event, he had to enter at his own risk.

Low-watt lights slowly began to glow as evening took hold. A soft yellow hue descended from the lights above and illuminated the dark hall. Up ahead he watched a group of teenage girls being heckled by five trash-talking boys—probably part of some outside gang. The boys shouted after them with their foul mouths and vulgar language. No real security existed here in the stadium, which brought a wide variety of riff-raff to the match.

Most people came in large enough groups to protect themselves, but Vander was alone. He wasn't worried about any of the punk kids that wandered about; the stadium itself was more dangerous than any of them. The possibility of someone getting hurt in the old stadium was a much higher probability. It was another issue he needed to talk about to the council.

As he walked by the hecklers, one of the gang members tried to interact with a French fry stand. The youngster wore brown shorts and a black tank top exposing heavily tattooed arms, with black rubber form-fitting wristbands. His buddies were all similarly dressed—bearing similar tattoos and wristbands—probably a mark of their gang.

The boy pleaded with the holo-clerk to give him some fries. "Come on man, I'm hungry. Don't you want to help a man in need?"

"I'm sorry, sir. You first have to deposit your money to get your Tasty Fries."

Vander watched out of the corner of his eye.

"No man, I gave you money already. Where's my food?"

"I am sorry, sir. You have not inserted any currency. I would be happy to give you your order once you kindly pay the amount required," responded the holo-clerk again.

"You already took my money you stupid, fucking machine. I want my fries. Now!"

Curious to see how the moment would play out, Vander strolled over to one of the other vending machines and pretended to read the menu.

"GIVE ME SOME FRIES!" roared the boy. His buddies stood around laughing.

"I am sorry, sir. You have not inserted any currency. I would be happy to give you your order once you kindly pay the amount required."

He kicked the machine. "GIVE ME SOME FRIES, PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Sir, please calm down and step back from the machine or I will be forced to protect myself."

"You're going to need a lot of protection from me, Fucker!" The young man slammed his fist on the counter and began to try and pry open the door where the food came out.

Suddenly he stood up erect, frozen for several seconds, and then fell to the ground. His buddies all laughed hysterically and pointed at him lying on the ground writhing in pain.

"Ha ha ha ha, Dumb-ass, didn't anyone tell you what happens if you mess with one of those things?" asked one of his friends. "Ha ha ha. That was awesome!"

They picked him up and drug him away laughing and high-fiving each other.

The Holo-clerk smiled "Please come again."

Vander smirked to himself; serves him right, he thought.

He wiped the sweat from his brow as the last of the sun's rays beat down on him from above. The temperature was in the upper eighties. He had never quite gotten used to the heat in the summer. He was told that it was not always this hot, but the climate had changed somewhere along the way. At least it was cooler than it was earlier. The temperature had soared up around 110 degrees in the midday sun.

Can't wait for fall.

There was a soft breeze blowing in from the north as he hiked up to a middle section. Most of the upper deck was crumbling away and unsafe, yet people still braved it to see tonight's fight. He stepped over a protruding chunk of metal as he headed toward a group of familiar faces, other locals who had come to watch the fight.

A chubby man greeted Vander, "Mr. Lee. Good to see you out and about before your big trip up to Cleveland."

"Hello, Jorry." Vander said as he gripped the man's hand. "May I join you? I would prefer not to sit with the gang of kids I just passed."

"I think we can make room for our new representative. Come to watch the fight, have you?"

"Yes. Thought I would watch a little barbaric entertainment before my trip. Ironic with all the bloodshed over the years by the Ferals; how we still want to watch violent sports like this."

"Hmm, never thought of it that way, but I guess you're right. Old habits die hard."

Vander sat down on the tiered concrete next to Jorry. He surveyed the group. "I don't see your friend, Mr. Gaworski?"

"Couldn't make it. Seems to be under the weather."

"That's too bad. I have a few minor questions to ask him about the list of supplies. I'll make a note to visit him before I leave." Vander took out a thin digital pad and typed in a few notes on his calendar. "This thing with people falling ill... it's becoming a larger epidemic. I plan to discuss it with the council. I have my theories about what the problem is."

"That's a nice little contraption you have there."

"Oh you mean this old thing." Vander held up the digital pad just as the batteries failed. "Well... I guess it's not that nice." He looked at it for a moment before shoving it back into his pocket.

"Maybe you can get a new one up in Cleveland, one that actually works. Maybe you can even grab one for me. I could use a gadget like that. Could have used one a few years back when I had my lucky turn as the big representative."

"I'm sure you could have. I'll see what I can do," replied Vander, slightly noncommittal.

"So, you think you know why everyone is feeling ill, huh?" questioned Jorry as he stuffed a stringy piece of beef jerky into his mouth.

"Like I said, I have my theories."

"So what is your theory?"

"Let's just say for conversation purposes, that this drought we're having is something more than an act of nature."

"How do you mean?" Jorry asked as he shifted his position.

"Well, the climate is obviously all messed up from global warming, but this goes beyond even that. The entire problem seems to be radiating out from Cleveland. It's been growing ever since Sky Canopy was erected."

"So you think our problems are because of Sky Canopy?"

"I think the Dead Zone is spreading. But... let's leave it at that. I don't want any rumors started on my account. I'll be discussing it with the council and hopefully I can get some facts."

"Fair enough; just do us all a favor and bring back some answers and some relief. We could use some good news for once." Jorry reached into his pocket and pulled out an old, silvery metal flask. "This is the last bit of whiskey that I have." He gave Vander a curious look. "It's nothing great, but it does the trick. How bout it, want a pull? Takes the edge off."

"No, thanks. I like the edge."

"Oh well, suit yourself. You know back in the old days, you could get this stuff in any corner store. All I would need to do is hop in my own personal vehicle—filled with gas-o-line—head over to the store and pick myself up a bottle of Jack Daniels. Then drink the whole damn thing. Get nice and tanked."

Vander smiled. "I bet you would. I might even be able to help you out with the bottle, but the gasoline is another story. I can't get you any of that."

"I know, I know. It's all gone. No more vehicles, no more tanks, no more air-o-planes. Just Ferals."

"At least you're a realist, Jorry."

"Oh I'm a realist alright. I really want to get drunk." He poured what was left of his flask into his mouth, squinting as he swallowed. "Ahh... That's good stuff. Say, you mentioned helping me out with a bottle. You think they'd add a shipment of alcohol?" He jabbed his elbow into Vander. "Even us politician types can use a good drink. You know what I mean?"

"I understand. I hope to talk my way into help for all of us Outsiders. As far as the alcohol goes... I'll definitely see what I can do."

"Ha ha ha, that's what I like to hear, a little bit of hope. That's why we selected you to represent us. You understand the problems we face." Jorry looked out at the center mound, "I see the fights are about to begin, enough talk about politics. Let's watch us some—what did you call it, barbaric entertainment."

6 Jathen

As the first two fighters walked out of the dark tunnel and strutted their way toward the center of the field, Jathen shadowboxed quietly in his little corner of a dressing room. He watched them on one of the dirty monitors that protruded from the dark walls, as they crossed the brown, barren earth that covered the stadium floor. In the center of the spacious arena sat a four to five foot high rectangular shaped mound, with no walls, ropes or fences. The two opponents climbed up on the dirt surface and readied themselves for combat.

Jathen glanced at the other monitor as it flickered on and off with an image of the stadium in its former glory. He looked at the digital image depicting a neatly tended green grass field and he wondered if the people of that day and age would even recognize the place now.

He had heard stories about how this place used to be home to a college sports team beginning in the twentieth century. The structure was originally formed in the shape of a horseshoe and in fact was once called the same name. It had worn down with time and neglect, and the once proud stadium had become more or less a ruin. Yet somehow it had been revived enough to be suitable for use.

Tonight's crowd was a different kind of crowd than those that supported the long lost team of scarlet and gray. Jathen surveyed the mass that filled the stadium. Something seemed a little off; he couldn't quite place his finger on it. The people seemed to be moving slower, not acting as rowdy. He could feel it himself, just a slight sapping of his energy. Was it the threat of the Ferals, the drought, the poverty, or something else entirely? These people deserved better. He was tired of this hard way of life too. Maybe they should bring them all inside. Expand that Sky Canopy thing or something.

Nah, that's not possible, just stay focused, Jathen. Don't guilt trip yourself now. You're not going to solve all their problems. You're just a guy making a living.

He turned his attention back to his routine warm up. Working out and fighting was how he kept his mind off this deep-thinking stuff. He went back to his vigorous shadowboxing.

Once he felt nice and loose, he looked back at the monitor to see what was happening. He could see that the sky had turned dark, and the lights powered by the sun generator had warmed up enough to produce light to fill the stage.

Three circular cameras hovered in the air and floated just above the mound. He wasn't sure exactly how the technology worked, but he knew they captured the event for those on the inside. Each camera had a different colored light beam mounted next to the lens. One camera had red, one blue and one green. He guessed that these lights represented the different three-dimensional plains the cameras would capture, working on an X, Y, and Z-axis. They transmitted the fight back to the city and enabled those on the inside to see a virtual recreation of the fight as if they were ringside, in full holographic three dimensions. These viewers were the ones Jathen wanted to impress. Hopefully someone important was watching.

It was almost his turn. Time to head down the tunnel for my announcement, he thought. Jogging to the entrance of the stadium he felt a few butterflies. He was confident, but being in front of this many people was more frightening than his opponent.

He could feel the anticipation of the crowd as they waited for the main event. With all eyes focused intently on the center arena, the crowd fell silent.

An unseen announcer's voice bellowed in a deep base tone, "And now, for the main event!"

The crowd erupted with applause.

"Introducing... first, "The Scarlet Fury," Cons Savage!"

The crowd sprang to life and erupted into a thunderous applause.

Jathen watched from his own tunnel as a short, thick, shaggy man walked out of the entrance across the stadium. Wearing a pair of shorts and a loose fitting shirt with the sleeves ripped off, the man walked slowly toward the center mound. His hands and feet were tightly wrapped with athletic tape. Red armbands circled his biceps, making them appear even larger than they were. A large scar stretched from his right eye down around his cheek. A straggle of men followed close behind shouting out his name as they headed for the mound.

The unseen announcer waited until Cons climbed onto the raised dirt mass, then the booming voice echoed forth again, "And now the challenger. The mysterious man from the west... Jathen Fields!"

There were boos and shouts from the crowd as Jathen emerged from the shadows of his tunnel. He casually walked toward the center of the stadium flexing his muscles as he clinched his fists. He could almost feel the light dancing off his sweaty, chiseled upper body, as he wore only a pair of loose fitting red shorts. When he climbed onto the mound, it was immediately evident that he was the smaller of the two men. He stood facing his opponent, while the crowd yelled colorful insults.

The announcer's voice strained to be heard over the loud chants as he gave the particulars for the fight.

Cons ripped off his shirt, revealing a set of crimson tribal tattoos that covered his chest and back. He snarled and grimaced at Jathen from across the mound. He pointed his finger and issued a series of verbal threats. Jathen stood calmly tilting his head from side to side to loosen his neck. The buzz was almost unbearable. The crowd fell silent, as the anticipation for the beginning of the match loomed.

A loud gong reverberated through the arena signaling the fight to begin.

Jathen moved out from his corner toward his adversary, light on his feet.

Cons charged forward at full speed, leaping into the air and driving his knee forward—a strike that could crush a cement wall.

Jathen gracefully contorted his body to the side. Using his right hand, he guided the charging knee past himself.

Cons pressed the attack. He swung his heavy fist backward, but Jathen was too sly, already moving safely away.

Jathen circled while he studied his foe. He could sense Cons doing the same.

Dust particles floated in the air as the tightly packed mound of dirt had begun to loosen from all the activity. The two combatants stared at each other, moving in a clockwise motion back toward the center of the ring. It was very clear to Jathen how different their two fighting styles were. Cons wanted to get in close, looking to brawl. While Jathen moved with grace and precision keeping a precise distance away.

Jathen knew he could finish Cons very quickly if he wanted to, but he needed to please the crowd. He needed to make the fight last. Give the people something to cheer about.

He let the bulkier man chase him around the mound. He dodged and blocked, toying with his opponent, occasionally shoving the stout man away when he got too close.

Jathen smirked and stood flat footed, daring his opponent. Cons lunged forward and grabbed his legs, lifting him into the air and slamming him back to the ground.

With a thud, Jathen landed hard. It wasn't a pleasant feeling when his back hit the dirt. He didn't want the fight to seem lopsided, but he didn't like the position he was in.

He let the heavier man wrestle with him on the dry, dusty ground, doing enough to keep himself from getting hurt while keeping the fight moving. The two twisted and rolled before Jathen contorted his body in a way that allowed him to escape and spring back to his feet.

Facing each other again, Cons grinned slightly. He hadn't caused any damage, but he did manage to put Jathen on his back. It was time to end this.

Cons threw a series of light jabs in an attempt to get Jathen to make a move. Okay, Pal. Now it's my turn.

Just as a jab recoiled, Jathen struck with inhuman-like speed. First, he launched a left punch that crunched directly into Cons' cheek, and then quickly shifted to his left, throwing another thudding punch to Cons' abdomen. Finally, his elbow surged upward like a rocket, landing a third crushing blow to Cons' chin that lifted the heavier man into the air.

The crowd went wild as the mass of muscle hit the dirt in a cloud of dust.

Completely stunned from the vicious assault, Cons staggered back to his feet. Jathen just watched, letting him collect himself.

Cons shook his head back and forth repeatedly, bellowed a war cry, and surged forward, leading with his shoulder.

Jathen moved as though he were made of liquid. He glided under the thick shoulder and thrust his forearm into his opponent's mid-section.

Ribs snapped and Cons dropped to one knee. With one fluid motion, Jathen jumped into the air. Just as Cons began to turn back around, Jathen connected with a blow from above, dislodging teeth that scattered into the dirt. The motionless Cons Savage lay face down on the ground as Jathen stood triumphantly over him.

This was a violent sport and the crowd loved every second. They cheered madly for the winner. Jathen realized they were chanting his name. They had boos in the beginning, but cheers now. He looked around at the huge crowd that was now standing on their feet because of him. He raised his right arm in victory. This was what he had hoped for.

7 Leron

The very next night, Guard Chief Leron Stawbuck peered out over the dark landscape that surrounded the small town of Meadville. Leron was the senior Border Patrol officer on duty. He stood alone on the wall above the entrance to the town. Five other officers shared the duty of the night watch stationed along the wall. He loosened and retied the bandana that wrapped around the top of his head. The cloth was wet with sweat from the humidity.

He had stood at his position more times than he could count, standing guard throughout the night while the people slept safely. He didn't mind the work, it was mostly peaceful, and bullshitting with the other fellas was always good times.

His arm rested on one of the huge fifty-caliber guns that protected each side of the town. The heavy artillery made him feel confident about his position. The weapon was in tiptop condition. However, the octagonal shaped wall of steel and concrete that the gun sat upon was beginning to age. He looked down at a spot where the concrete had cracked and hoped the maintenance crew would attend to the problem soon. He could not do his job without a defensive barrier. He wondered if the walls that surrounded the other outside towns were in as bad of shape as this one was.

As he sat silently watching for anything unusual, he realized that it was almost twenty-four years to the day since he had arrived in Meadville. He had made the town his home after the Border Wars. Being a decorated soldier he was able to choose his profession. He had always been a man of duty, back in the war and still to this day. Now, he continued to serve in the Patrol.

The town itself was no more than a mile in diameter and it held one of the farthest points of the borders for the AOCC. Even if it was on the Outside and less safe than Cleveland, it was far better than living cooped up in some tiny apartment.

He chose Meadville because it provided privacy. There were only about a hundred or so other people living with him inside the small town, and he liked it that way. If only they would show up for work, he thought.

He saw movement from his peripheral view, nothing unusual, just one of the guys. He quickly recognized the shape of fellow patrol officer Oliver Witt as he approached on the wall walkway. They had not been on the same shift in awhile.

"What's up Boss? I hear you got gypped out of your little vacation," said Oliver in his familiar raspy voice.

Leron sighed and shook his head. "Man, I wish I would have been there for that fight. I bet that was the best one in years. If these lazy, good-for-nothings around here actually could get their asses out for the watch, I would have been there."

"I know man. This is starting to get weird. What is it with everyone? We have half the town saying they want to take naps all day."

"I don't know, Oliver. These guys that missed work last night... they had better be coughing up a lung, because I'm pissed I missed that fight."

"Yeah, I bet you are. I'd be mad if I had a chance to see that match myself." He pulled out a dirty rag from his pocket and wiped a smudge off the barrel of the fifty-cal. "Still, I'm starting to get worried about all these people getting sick. I mean, even my old lady is feeling down."

"I wouldn't worry about it, man. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Hell, I'm not worried about her, I'm worried about me. I'm not getting any action when she's feeling sleepy all the time."

Leron laughed. "At least you have someone to get some from. I can't remember the last time I got laid. As a matter of fact, I was planning on finding me a sweet young thang over in Columbus, but no... these assholes had to go and mess it up. Now, all I get is old Bessy here's company." He slapped the large gun on the side. "No fight, no pussy, just the watch."

"This is way more fun," said Oliver sarcastically. He turned away and peered over the edge of the wall. "They said it was one of the best knock outs in years..."

"Yeah, go on... rub it in, I know." Leron squeezed the gun grips of the turret until his knuckles turned white.

"No seriously, Boss, I'm just being a dick. I would be super pissed man. Maybe we can catch a replay over a couple beers after our shift?"

Leron did not answer immediately. He looked out toward the trees for any kind of movement. He had just noticed that something did not seem quite right tonight, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. "Yeah, we can do that. I want to see this new guy in action."

"Me too, I guess that Fields guy is really something? Word has it he's an Ultra."

"An Ultra? I don't buy into any of that crap. I've never seen any kind of special humans. People nowadays will believe anything. They want to make us think there are super heroes out there, with powers and shit. They're just trying to give us hope. The only thing I've seen that works against the Ferals is old Bessy here. Some good old fashioned gun fire, pumped right into their faces."

"I'm kind of with you there. I'm just telling you what they're saying," Oliver said as he stood up to stretch his legs. "Whatever... it sure does sound like he can fight. Let's sign him up for the watch over here. Let him beat on some Ferals."

"Sign him up. We could use the help. With all these bums slacking off around here, I'll take anything I can get."

"Too bad guys like him won't be seen all the way out here with us. Guess we'll just have to pick up the slack." Oliver shifted his helmet with the night-vision goggles. "I'll take the walk down the wall. Try not to fall asleep on me, Boss."

Leron shook his head and laughed sarcastically. "Shit, I'm too pissed to fall asleep. Make sure those guys on the other side are alert."

"Will do," said Oliver over his shoulder as he walked toward the other side of the wall.

Leron had lived a tough life. He was used to problems, but these new issues gave him a feeling of dread. He had heard the rumors that had been spreading throughout all of the outside lands and he hoped they were untrue. Between Meadville and the vast Mega-city of Cleveland was a wasteland of space called the Dead Zone. He had heard that the Dead Zone was spreading; that his tiny town had been engulfed by it. He didn't want to believe it.

Still, there was good reason for all the rumors. A long drought had caused the cornfields to all but die out. The people had become too tired to work and the laziness was spreading. Even those of the Border Patrol had taken a hit. Tonight there were only five of the usual eight guards on post. Leron knew the importance of his job; he needed to make sure he stayed alert.

It had been about a half hour since Oliver had headed for the other side of the compound. Leron was standing at his position thinking about that cold beer after his shift, when suddenly, his anxiety spiked and chill bumps prickled his arm.

He wiped his sticky palms on his pant legs and looked out through his night vision goggles. Even in the middle of the night, the humidity of the day persisted. There was no wind and the silence was deafening. The usual sounds of the evening were absent, no crickets or tree toads, no ruffle of branches or leaves, nothing. It was completely silent.

As he scanned the surrounding grounds, he thought he saw something move out near the forest edge. He went to focus in with his goggles, but they abruptly stopped working. He ripped them off his head and tried to find the spot of movement with his unaided vision. He strained his eyes to see in the dark, but it was no use.

"Piece of shit goggles," he swore, as he ran back along the walkway toward the small wooden gun-house to get a new pair.

He grabbed a different pair of goggles from the shelf and slipped them on his head. He quickly exited the tiny room and headed down the walkway toward the rickety scaffolding that rose further above the wall and served as a lookout. He cursed the man that should have been there, another fool who had called off sick. When he reached the top, he quickly looked out at the landscape. He saw the surrounding land in vivid, high-contrast blue and green. Nothing seemed out of place.

Then, just as he was about to climb back down, he saw it.

Something ran from the woods, fast, and reached the shadows of the wall. He couldn't see the far side, but he knew it was there, standing still and flat. His pulse immediately quickened and he felt a wave of heat rush over his body. "Ferals," he whispered. The man on the gun tower above had not noticed the creature. He hit the alarm button and waited for the sirens to begin, but no sound followed.

"What the fuck is going on."

He snatched at the console in front of him and picked up the phone to call the man across the way. He heard nothing through the receiver.

He looked around at the loose-hanging mess of cables connecting the console. He did not have time to figure out the problem.

He slammed the phone down on the council and hurried back down the ladder.

Leron raced toward the gun-house. He needed to get to the old cast-iron bell. It would work in place of the alarm. He needed to hurry, before it was too late.

He heard a roar from the other gun tower. A Feral had made a kill. One of the men had surely been killed. They would come fast now. Ferals were attracted to blood.

He allowed himself to glance over the side of the wall toward the ground. He saw them. Silently, climbing up the wall with their sharp penetrating claws. One was nearly at the top just down from where he stood. Only some barbed wire stood in its way. The creature grabbed the wire and pulled it taught between its two clawed hands. Then biting down with tremendous force, it snapped the wire in half and scrambled over.

The creature, difficult to see at night, was long and lanky, human shaped, but entirely different. It was hairless with rough, tree bark-like skin. It was a hunter, dark gray in color with mottled green spots around the shoulders. Its hand contained long fingers that ended with heavy two-inch claws. A large thick neck and oversized head sprouted above a powerfully athletic body. The amphibian like head contained two beady black eyes and a long slit for a mouth.

Leron started to raise his gun to shoot, then he remembered the alarm. He had to sound the bell and let the town know what was happening. He turned and sprinted back toward the gun-house. He skipped around a box on the ground and the bell was in sight.

He turned and reached for the pull cord, but something grabbed a hold of his arm with the strength of a steel vice and pulled him backward.

The last thing he saw was a dark form with rows of sharp teeth bearing down on him from above.

8 Dark Ninja

Hidden amongst the inky shadows of Meadville, the dark ninja-like figure surveyed his surroundings. Something was amiss. The night was different somehow. The guards were not at their posts, the machine guns left unmanned. An eerie silence enveloped the land.

He waited in the comfort of the darkness, waiting for a sign, waiting for the situation to reveal itself. Standing perfectly still, he swept his vision across the grounds. There. He saw movement, something quick. It wasn't human. It could only be a Feral. Was the town overrun?

His heart sank. Master...

He had only just arrived. Entering the small town with stealth as usual, he was here for his weekly visit with his teacher Itcharu Saziki. Dawn was fast approaching and he had hoped to slip in unnoticed. Surprise the old man by showing up early. Ironic, that he may be too late.

Master Saziki had taught him the way of the martial arts: How to move, how to fight, how to see things, how to listen... how to live. He had to find out if the old man still lived.

As he began his journey through the silent town, his master's voice spoke in his head. 'Move your feet. Not one at a time, but in pairs, left and right, left and right.'

The words pushed him forward. Gliding from shadow to shadow, he moved as silently as the Ferals. As he made his way through town, he saw that it had met a gory, bitter end. Ferals lingered about, gorging on what was left of the townspeople. The carnage that he witnessed gave him little hope.

The nearest home was in shambles. The door was ripped from its hinges. The windows, shattered. A dark patch of red saturated the ground where the victim had tried to escape. All that remained were strings of bloody flesh that hung from the side of the splintered wood home.

'Observe your surroundings. Observation will give you sight beyond what is in front of you.'

He stepped cautiously through the dirt, making sure to avoid the blood. Peering around the coarse, wood edge of the broken house, he readied himself for his next move. The path seemed clear. Move!

He sprinted across the open path, feeling vulnerable as the moonlight reflected off his dark outfit. Was he noticed?

He glanced over his shoulder. Standing where he had just come, with blood dripping from its gaping mouth, was a slender, wiry creature. It cocked its amphibian head sideways like a bird, staring at him with its bottomless back eyes.

It hesitated, and turned back to where it had come from. The mottled green spots covering its back signified that it was a hunter.

Did it see me? Why did it not attack? No matter, have to keep moving. Stay in the safety of the darkness. Not much further now.

'Know your enemy. Study their strengths and weaknesses.'

He saw two more Ferals bounding off toward a ravaged house with bloodstains on the door. The monsters, running on all fours like an ape, collided trying to enter at the same time and starting a squabble amongst themselves. The dark ninja used the moment to move to the next shadow.

As he moved near the shadowed side of a concrete structure, he thought about Master Saziki. The old man loved life and nature. He had spoken many times about his fondness for the sounds of the evening, the insects and the tree toads. He fancied his evening tea and his bowls of rice. But most of all, the old man had a great appreciation for the martial arts. He had made it his way of life.

Master Saziki had often spoken of his days in the Border Wars. How he had trained many soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. He had taught the humans how to defend themselves against the Ferals in close combat. His techniques saved many lives during the war. It was an honor to be his student.

'The way of the sword is the pinnacle of the martial arts.'

Keeping very close to the ground, the dark ninja crawled down the length of a long shadow. The familiar house of his master was in view. He could see the glint of metal on the ground. The sword.

'The fundamentals for the way of the sword are through the five stances: middle, upper, lower, left and right.'

He was taught how to fight with the weapon that lay on the ground. He had spent many days sparring both with and against that ancient blade. Saziki had trained him for many years, readying him for his next path in life.

There, on the ground, a body. He closed his eyes.

The dark ninja had been told many times by his master, that he was his greatest student. Master Saziki was always amazed at the unnatural things he could do. It was only during his last visit that Master Saziki told him how honored he was to pass on his martial knowledge to such a great apprentice.

He remembered meeting Saziki earlier in his life. As the years went by and the training progressed, it had grown more into a formality than a lesson, but there was always something Master Saziki could critique in his apprentice's form.

'Each battle is different, be it large or small. Conform to it as water does to a river or to a cup.'

As he moved in closer, his heart skipped a beat. Not much remained of his former master. He was a great man and he would be missed. Still, he knew the old man went out with honor, because amongst the ripped chunks of human flesh lie two dead Ferals! No easy task for any human, especially an old man in his twilight years. He knew this was how his master would have wanted it.

He was angered at what he saw. Seeing the slaughtered humans, his disfigured, dismembered master; it made him want to attack the monsters. Yet he knew it was much too dangerous, his master's words rang in his head. 'Fight not with anger or emotion. Use focus and skill.' There were others things that needed his attention. He had been training all these years for one thing—one long act of vengeance.

'Know the ways of the world. Take nothing for granted. Investigate and study as thoroughly as possible.'

Quickly moving through the open space, the dark ninja snatched up the ancient katana. He would see that it was kept safe in remembrance of the man who once wielded it. He took one last look at the shredded form of his master then turned and fled from the village. His time with this place was finished. His training was over and it was time for the next phase of his life. Now he would proceed with his revenge and his legacy. It was time to enter the city.

9 Swelter

Pavel Torres, codenamed Swelter, stepped over one of the sleeping homeless people that lay on the dirty ground of the dark alleyway. He headed toward a dilapidated apartment building near the end of the alley. Two men he had only recently met accompanied him. They knew him only as Tank, the name he used for his undercover identity.

He could feel the butterflies in his stomach as they approached the building. He had to keep his cool. Stay calm and focused. Make sure he didn't blow his cover. One of the biggest crime lords in the city, the man named Drake, was almost in his grasp. Failure was not an option.

He breathed in the urine-scented air. It made him wish he were back outside the city, in the fresh clean air. Living inside had its benefits, but this part of town was not so nice. Swelter was an Insider now. He lived inside the mega city of Cleveland.

Growing up outside gave him a completely different perspective from the common Insider, he had never gotten totally comfortable with the inside region. The sheer size of the city was staggering. It had ballooned to a population of nearly fifty million people. Technologically superior to anything on the outside, Cleveland was considered the last truly safe place on the planet. It was the beacon of hope within the world of despair.

Underneath the protection of Sky Canopy, Swelter and all the other citizens of Cleveland lived safely away from the threat of the Ferals, but not all of Cleveland was filled with happiness. Deep within the city, on the Eastern border, stretched the expanse of the slums, where crime and violence was abundant. Swelter spent most of his time in the slums fighting the endless war on crime as part of the specialized team called E-Squad.

He hated the slums. It was dirty and it stunk. He could see the body of the land as it rose and fell with a mass of stinking landfill. Covered in a hazy, gas-filled stench, the ever-growing landscape reached into the air. The city's waste was the source of the slums expansion, contributing weekly to the ascent. Each irregular shaped hill was clustered with boxy shapes, makeshift buildings that served as homes for the people that lived there.

He didn't have a problem with all the lower class people, just most of them. They packed themselves into the slums anywhere they could. These poverty-stricken citizens had escaped the outside threat of the Ferals, but lived in a pest-infested, over-populated, fend-for-yourself part of the city that was home to just about every type of low-life human being that had ever existed.

Wedged in the valley of the garbage-filled hills, were the homes of most of the slums population. Made up of tightly packed single occupancy apartment buildings, dark alleyways, and old houses left over from before the Ferals, this particular part of the slums was called Euclid. Anywhere space was available, sheet metal shacks had been erected; they filled alleyways, extended buildings upward and connected old houses to form an enormous network of low-level residencies. These old deteriorated buildings, with all their interwoven shacks—along with the population that lived there—made Euclid a rough and unpleasant place to live. Swelter was glad he lived farther uptown.

As Swelter and his two provisional partners navigated the alley, he allowed himself a glance upward into the shadows. He knew right where to look and he could just make out a female form above.

He could just see her—one of his actual partners—as she stood on a balcony ledge looking down on him and his two companions. The woman, gracefully lifted her arm into the air, she moved her hand about as if she were manipulating the controls of an invisible machine. Her hand reached out, touched an unseen button and slid another away. She appeared like a mime, acting out a silent performance. Swelter knew her gestures well. He understood that she saw and manipulated a colorful transparent interface of digital information for an in-suit computer control system called a Vir-Comm.

After several hand motions, her suit began to shimmer, then faded totally to black allowing her to melt into the shadows around her. Even though she had disappeared, it gave him a sense of comfort to know she was there.

Swelter and the other two men entered the building, and proceeded toward a moldy, crumbling stairwell. They climbed the chipped stairs and avoided a bloated, decaying body of a dead dog on the second-floor landing. After another flight, they came out of the stairwell and turned down a long hallway with cracked, broken walls stained with urine and blood.

A long, broken mirror stretched down the side of the hall. Swelter tried not to look, but he found his eyes drifting toward the shattered reflection. The two men that accompanied him both walked with practiced limps, they dressed in normal inconspicuous clothing—loose fitting, dark-toned T-shirts and baggy pants. They looked like they had been around the block a few times. He barely recognized himself wearing a long trench coat with dark clothing underneath. His bronze-colored skin and dark hair gave him an unmistakable claim to his Mexican decent.

Midway down the hall, he stopped at one of the faded-wooden doors. He glanced around before knocking. "It's Tank. I've got some useful items for sale."

While they waited for the door to open, Swelter addressed his two partners in the dimly lit hallway. "Thanks for coming guys. We're making a killing on this one." He didn't have any real connection to the two men, but he needed them to help keep his cover. These two street thugs made him look authentic.

A baby cried behind one of the firmly locked doors and an argument between two unknown occupants could be heard somewhere in the background. He hardly noticed the stagnant smell of mildew as it filled his nostrils with each breath. He ran a hand through his jet-black hair as he waited, pushing his bangs back from his forehead.

A sliver of light peaked out from the room as the door opened ever so slightly. A shadow fell across the opening. "Who's with you?" asked a deep voice.

"Couple boys from the street," replied Swelter. "I got Dirty Joe and Steve here."

"Were you followed?"

"Hell no, amigo. I ain't that stupid!"

The door opened and a big, burly Asian man wearing a black suit and matching visor, ushered the three thugs inside. He gave Swelter and his two buddies three sets of visors.

Swelter slid the slick, black visor onto his head and over his eyes. "Now this is what I'm talking about," he said with a smile on his face.

Swelter found himself placed into a virtual world where the objects in the room were instantly upgraded in appearance. It replaced the actual surroundings of the room, giving them a significant, virtual facelift.

With the visor on, the room appeared extravagant. There was a large burgundy rug covering a black marble floor. The walls were pristine white marble with digital pictures of a current modern artist displayed on each quarter of the room. The ceiling was a detailed, shimmering gold canopy with intricate patterns of circles.

Slamming the door shut, the Asian man with the deep voice pushed the three thugs toward the back of the room. Two other men and two women lounged about the room. The two women sat seductively on a black leather couch sipping wine; one woman wore a tight red dress with a low-cut cleavage, while the other dressed in a black two-piece showing her mid-section. The two men, also wearing black suits with red ties, sat at a marble table playing a card game. All four casually glanced at the newcomers, but barely acted as they noticed.

At the back of the room was a behemoth dark red mahogany desk. A white man with long blonde hair framing his face waved his arms through the air. His fingers danced as they manipulated a holo-computer. Long black sleeves flutter back and forth and light danced off the many rings on his fingers. All ruffles and shiny buttons, he almost seemed too sparkled from the lights. Swelter could not see his eyes under the visor, but he knew they were black like his personality.

Swelter stopped just short of the desk, his two buddies stood a step back from him. "S'up Drake. I got you some identities."

Drake ignored him and continued to pluck digital numbers out of the hologram and move them to different locations. Several seconds later he answered. "I hope these are better than the last batch, Tank. I'm growing tired of your attempts at ID piracy."

Swelter laughed nervously, "That's a good one, amigo. You know me... these is good."

Drake didn't laugh. "The last batch nearly got us busted. We had to scrap the whole plan."

Tank got serious fast. "That wasn't me, man. My stuff is clean. It must have been one 'o the other suppliers." He held out several small square shaped microchips in his palm. "These here is good. You got my word, man."

"Seth." Drake commanded. One of the men from the table joined them at the desk and took the chips from Tank. He held them in one hand and scanned them with a small black device. "They look clean."

"Tank?" said Drake, as he finally raised his head to look at Swelter directly. "You do understand the consequences with this batch, right?"

Swelter was silent.

"You see... I don't play games. I let you get away with one last time, because I couldn't directly pin it on you. But that was your last pass. This time, I will track you down and pluck off your fingers and your toes one by one. Then, I'll cut off your dick, stuff it in your mouth, and leave you to bleed to death in some caved-in tunnel. Do we have an understanding?"

Tank swallowed before he spoke. "I told ya, man, these is good." He swiped his hand across his brow to wipe a bead of sweat away. "I'm not here to make no enemies. I just want to make some dough."

Drake took the chip and plugged it into a small device on the side of his desk. It took the files a moment to upload. When finished, he gave Swelter one last hard look, then turned to Seth. "Pay him."

At the same moment, a hissing sound near the front door caught everyone's attention. The nine people in the room all turned to see a thin red light trace a quick circular pattern into the door. The circular piece fell to the floor with a small thud. The room was silent. Then, from out of the hole, poured a thick stream of smoke into the room.

"OH, FUCK ME," yelled Seth. "You were followed, you asshole."

Drake stayed calm and gave out quick precise orders. "Seth, clear out the other holo-deck quick. We'll make our way out the back." He glanced at Swelter. "You better hope it's only the cops" He turned to the two gunmen who had stepped away from the table. "Fill 'em full of lead."

Gunfire exploded around the room as the door was peppered with bullets. Swelter watched Drake quickly pull out a credit card shaped object and place it into the hologram facedown. The smoke had begun to cloud up the room and the gunfire was creating confusion. A blue light flashed on the card and Drake jammed it into his pocket. It was the evidence Swelter needed.

He had a hard time seeing Drake through the thick smoke, but he heard the crime lord call out to him. "You just killed yourself, Tank."

Swelter smiled. He knew better. He coughed and threw his visor to the ground, preparing himself to pursue Drake. Without the visor, the room took on its original appearance of a dirty, old, stained apartment room.

Just as Swelter was about to give chase, the wall behind him exploded in a shower of bricks. Swelter ducked to the side, he would only be in the way now. A large shape plowed through the hole and rushed the men firing at the door. It was hard to see what exactly was happening, but Dirty Joe pulled out a gun and fired several shots at the shadow in the smoke. Ricochet sounds echoed through the haze.

There was a loud thud as something rammed into a man and sent him crashing into the decaying wood table. The cracking sound suggested that it splintered in half from the force of the man colliding into it. After another sickening crunch, the woman in burgundy leather hit the ground and slid to a stop motionless just in front Swelter.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Bullets bounced off the armor of the big figure as he loomed toward his next target.

Swelter crouched and covered his head as chunks of plaster and tile rained down from the attack. He looked up in time to see movement just in front of him and the large figure stepped out of the haze.

The huge man wore extremely heavy armor, dominantly dark gray with subtle yellow markings, made of carbon fiber and steel plates. Wielding two distinctive war hammers in each hand, the figure towered above. Swelter focused on the bulky, intimidating helmet with its vertical, yellow beam of light that illuminated out from the center. He recognized the shape. A deep voice came from under the menacing helmet. "Good work, Swelter."

Dirty Joe and Steve looked over at him quizzically. "I told you this fool was five-O. We're fucked, Steve. Take him out."

Dirty Joe pointed a gun toward Swelter, but Swelter had already shred his trench coat and stood with his arm pointing at Joe. A thin orange-red beam streaked out from his right arm. As the beam found its mark, a burst of fire shot down the length of the beam and erupted into Dirty Joe, engulfing the man in flames. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room as two more fireballs hurtled toward Steve. He ducked the first and the second collided into his face, he screamed as his flesh bubbled and blistered.

Swelter stood with red light coursing through his lightly armored body as it charged from the quick fight. "I didn't like you two assholes anyway... and my name isn't Tank, its Swelter," he said to the smoldering bodies of Steve and Dirty Joe.

10 Snow

Snow waited patiently in the long shadows of the apartment roof overhang. Just a short amount of time had passed since she had watched Swelter enter the adjacent building. She knew the mission was in full progress at the sound of all the commotion coming from the other building. It was almost her turn to act.

As if right on cue, she saw Drake and one of his henchman emerge onto a fire escape from a hidden door in the back of the building. From her position, directly across from them, she had anticipated as much. Finally, it was time for action.

She stretched out her arm and took aim. Attached to her wrist was a contraption that glowed from within with pale blue light, it unfolded out and reformed around her hand into the shape of a flat gun. The temperature in the alleyway dropped suddenly; the air had grown uncannily colder, as the weapon readied itself.

With a soft hiss, a single razor-sharp shard of ice shot from her weapon and found its mark in Drake's left shoulder. She didn't want to kill him, only to slow him down. He yelled out in pain and clutched at the protruding icicle.

He quickly turned and slammed his fist into the wall nearest him. A panel in the brick revealed a thin contraption that slid outward. From within it, a pale red column of light shot downward and touched the ground. Drake and his henchman jumped into the light and sank to the ground. They hesitated looking for the shooter before fleeing down the alley.

Snow wasn't about to let him get away. She had her own method of decent. She jumped the rail and fell three stories. Just before impact, four jets of vapor from her feet and hands eased her landing onto the dirty alley floor.

She could see Drake and the other man stop in their tracks. The henchman pulled Drake back into the shadows. "This way," he said. "There's a tunnel. We can take our chances underground."

Snow deactivated her cloaking device and as they turned to run, they skidded, almost stumbling, at the sight of her running toward them. Anger was evident on Drake's face, but that anger was also, to Snow's delight, tinged with fear.

Snow made the turn into the next alley, ready to fire with both arms extended and nearly collided with a set of sheet-metal shacks. "Damn it!" She shifted her momentum around the obstacle and found a clear shot. A hail of ice shards, shot from her wrist weapons, flashed through the alleyway, and impaled Drake's companion, slicing his back and neck. The razor-sharp ice penetrated deep into the man's body, and he fell to the ground motionless. A puddle of blood began forming around him.

At the site of his fallen comrade, Drake desperately reached for his own weapon. He pulled out a machine pistol, pointed it at Snow, and squeezed the trigger. A burst of automatic bullets exploded from the barrel. Snow recoiled and lifted her arm in defense; a transparent blue shield sprang up in front of her from her right forearm and deflected the bullets.

Litter scattered as Drake fled toward the giant mound of trash and the tunnel entrance. He pushed past two old bums standing in his way and Snow couldn't get a clear shot. She saw him plunge into the darkness of the tunnel. Time to get dirty, she thought, I have to be careful, he could be anywhere.

She approached the entrance with caution. The tunnel burrowed deep into the hill. It smelled of earth and decay. Drake was a dangerous criminal and would fight back viciously if cornered. She waved her hands through the air in a circular motion and the ice guns surrounding her hands produced two high beam flashlights. Bright light flooded the tunnel, causing rats and cockroaches to scurry into the shadows. Several larger human forms shifted into small alcoves to avoid the danger. She could see a trail of blood left from the first wound she gave him. You're not going to escape this time, Drake.

She glimpsed him in the distance. He raised his pistol and fired again. She ducked back out of the tunnel as the bullets flew by. She had to move in. She lifted her arms to shield herself and charged into the darkness. Drake fired as she closed on his position. The bullets bounced away harmlessly, causing a shower of blue mist as each shot impacted into the translucent shield. He was gone by the time she reached his spot.

She needed to end this quickly, before any innocents got hurt. She had to set a trap. The tunnels doubled back on one another. If I can force him back the way he came, I may have a chance to contain him. She aimed at the crumbly ceiling at the entrance of the tunnel. As her weapon charged, the air turned frigidly cold. She fired a blue burst of light. It exploded into a solid block of ice that blocked the passageway. For good measure, she placed another shot onto the floor that produced a slippery, ice-covered surface.

Within her visor, Snow brought up a layout of the network of tunnels. She guessed which way Drake would go and set out to head him off. She proceeded into the darkness without any light; she wanted the element of surprise on her side. She switched her visor to night vision and moved quickly to get in front of him. It was the only way her plan was going to work. C'mon Snow, stay sharp.

As she ran, she tripped over something heavy. It smelled like a dead body. She pushed herself back to her feet and nearly gagged as she felt the slimy form beneath her. She couldn't believe anyone would actually live down here.

Her visor directed her left, then straight, and left again. Soon the tunnel opened up into a larger one. This was where she expected Drake to be. She hit the lights and the bullets came at her again. She had guessed right and he was heading back toward the entrance. Almost mine, she thought.

She sprinted after him. When she turned the corner, she saw him slip and fall on the ice and collide into the frozen wall she had erected. He looked dazed, but he still had sense enough to use his weapon. He squeezed the trigger frantically at the wall of ice, but his gun was out of ammo.

She reached him and fired two shards of ice into his leg. He screamed, pulled a knife and swung it madly at her. She gracefully dodged and grabbed his arm, twisting it until he dropped the blade. He grimaced in pain and conceded to defeat. She had caught him.

Snow stood over her captive and spoke to one of her teammates through the Vir-Comm communication network of her in-suit computer. "I have Drake," she said. A bit of mist rose from the square-shaped guns that surrounded her hands. The white, lightly armored techno-suit appeared to breathe as parts of it began to glow light blue, recharging from the short fight; thin blue lines on her arms, legs and chest pulsed with life.

She pulled off her ventilation mask and lifted the visor, resting it on her short, spiky black hair. As she revealed her pretty face from under the mask, she surveyed her captive. He hung his head low and strands of his blond hair covered his face. He looked defeated. The king of the slums was in her custody.

"You bitch. You shot me in the leg," grumbled Drake. "I know who you are, you're one of those freak E-Squaders. I'll remember you for the next time. I won't forget this."

Alessia Mariano, the woman code-named Snow, had waited a long time for this moment. She looked down at him with disgust and reached into his pocket to take the credit-card-shaped object from him. It was the evidence they needed to put him away for good.

"Sorry, but I don't think there will be a next time." She pulled him to his feet and pushed him down one of the connecting tunnels. The ice wall was too thick to break easily. When they finally reached an exit, she began guiding him back toward the waiting police.

As they approached the dead body of Drake's companion, she saw three young kids dart off in the other direction. They had been searching the body for anything valuable. Little cretins, she thought. Crime was everywhere and the city needed law enforcement more than ever. They may be safe from the Ferals, but not from one another. Someone was always trying to take what somebody else had, either by buying it or steeling it.

Snow wasn't one of those people. She wasn't materialistic. She was a patriot. She was proud to protect the city by using her gifts within E-Squad. Even in this stink-pit side of town, she still felt good about the city. After all it was called the city of hope. She protected that name. She loved being a hero and she was very good at what she did; right now that meant taking out the trash.

The cops placed a thin blue strap around Drake's wrists that instantly formed into a set of handcuffs. "Thanks Snow, we can take it from here," said the officer.

She nodded in recognition to the policeman and looked back up at the balcony of the room above. Smoke drifted out of the room above and she knew that her two teammates had done their part. It was a gratifying feeling. After all this time, they had finally taken down Drake. It felt good, but she knew her job was far from over.

She sighed and looked at her surroundings. Euclid was a haven for corruption in this giant city. A rat-infested, slum-filled, crime-riddled part of town where she spent most of her time. If only this was all they needed to do. So many scumbags still out there, she thought. Still, we got us a big one tonight. She smiled and headed toward the main street.

She saw one of the dirty-faced little boys peeking at her from around the corner of some ruble. That's right little man... go tell all your friends about us. E-Squad is going to clean up this town.

Originally trained to fight the Ferals outside, she never had the chance to face one. With the erection of Sky Canopy, she was just another form of law enforcement. She had never even been outside the city, and hoped to keep it that way. As far as she was concerned, anything outside the walls of Sky Canopy was outer space. With Sky Canopy in place, she would never need to test herself against the Ferals. Although she frequently wondered how she would do in a fight against them. Hopefully she wouldn't need to find out.

She heard a deep voice come in through her earpiece. "That's one less provider we have to deal with," said Granite, the man in the heavy armor, and her current team leader.

"Yeah... and a bunch more out there," she retorted.

She breathed in the urine-scented air. What a hellhole. She was determined to help clean it up however she could. She looked up at Sky Canopy above the crumbling roof tops and tried to imagine this place looking like the west side of town.

She let her mind wander further. Even if she cleaned up the Slums, was it all worth it? This is just one city, what about the rest of the world? What about the Ferals. Something just didn't feel right.

11 Jathen

Jathen Fields had never been to a place quite like the Mega City of Cleveland. The enormous dome that encased the city was breathtaking to look at from the outside. It was so large that it expanded off into the distance farther than the eye could see. It rose far up into the air and reached into the sky like a mountain. Jathen looked up at the mammoth shell and wondered how man was able to create such a structure.

He had been invited to come and visit the AG Fighting Association (AGFA) after the company president saw his fight with Cons Savage. He had agreed to meet with an agent to see the city and possibly sign on with the association. After all, gaining access into the city was one of the reasons why he came out east to begin with, among other things. Plus, making some money along the way sure didn't hurt anything.

The AGFA was an inside fighting association that had become immensely popular since the rise of Sky Canopy. The association was apparently always looking for new fighters. Jathen had heard that winning enough fights on the outside would get them interested, and sure enough they had come calling. It was said that if the AGFA liked what they saw in him, they would set up a fight inside the city. He felt lucky; it would give him a chance to find a way to make his stay more permanent. His ultimate goal was simply to earn citizenship within Cleveland.

Equipped with a right-of-entrance pass, he hopped on the magna-rail and headed toward the overpopulated mega city. The magnetically propelled train connected the outside villages and towns with the larger city of Cleveland.

As the train approached the city, Jathen noticed a shimmering effect out the window in the distance. Gradually, just over the horizon, an object came into view. The enormous dome, Sky Canopy, appeared like a man-made-mountain. Jathen could only stare as the train glided closer and closer. There's a city under that thing, he thought. I can't wait to see the inside.

Exiting the scarcely populated transit system, Jathen could already see the difference between here and everywhere else in the outside world. The station he had come from was a dilapidated mess, but the Cleveland port was a different story. The walls were nicely painted in a two-tone color of white and blue, with an abundance of moving digital advertisements. The shiny, smooth tiles on the ground were arranged in circular patterns and the ceiling had a gold-rimmed digital screen depicting a blue sky with velvety, white clouds.

The colorful digital signs that adorned the walls advertised all sorts of things within the city. Jathen took note of the AG Fighting Association poster as he passed. It shot up a digital message 'Welcome Jathen!' as he walked by. He paused long enough to view his name highlighted on the poster. He smiled and continued toward the city entrance.

AOCC security guards stood erect throughout the station. They dressed in dark-gray military fatigues with regal blue berets on their heads. They carried side arms and stood silently watching for trouble.

Jathen walked out of the pristine station and entered into the first round of security checkpoints. A small line of people waited to go through the first check. Each person shifted and fidgeted, waiting for the series of procedures that lay ahead. Once it was his turn, Jathen stepped into a thin circular contraption. The lights dimmed, and a ring rose up from the floor. Red reflective light shined off his body as the scanner scrutinized him from top to bottom. A green light overhead flickered on indicating that he had passed.

Next he proceeded to a large archway and was stopped directly underneath. He watched as a violet cloud rose around him, the particles of gas wrapping around his body and seeping beneath his clothes. He didn't know what was happening, but he could guess that the security system could see everything that was on his person.

The third and last checkpoint was a compression room. Jathen entered the room with three other travelers. Another green light that flashed and a soft hissing sound filled the room. He could feel the pressure in his head begin to build. He clenched his teeth and shifted his jaw as his ears popped and equalized with the rise in pressure. It took several minutes, but soon enough he was acclimated and everything felt fine.

A small security woman explained to Jathen and the other three people the purpose of the equalization. "The air pressure on the inside is much stronger than on the outside, this helps to hold the Sky Canopy in place, acting much like a balloon. Upon entering the city, a person must equalize to prevent possible damage to the ear drum."

Apparently, the procedure came with some minor side effects, such as mild headaches and even nausea, but Jathen felt fine and continued on.

He exited the final checkpoint and found himself looking down an extremely long tunnel with walls painted in the same two-tone colors as the train station. Many more digital advertisements clung to the walls and faded into the distance of the tunnel.

Jathen walked for what seemed like forever. When he finally made it to the end, just before the exit of the tunnel, he noticed a short black man in a gray business suit. He had a round face with short-cropped hair. He wore a pair of red sunglasses with silver lenses that matched the red stripe running just off center through his hair.

The black man immediately greeted him. "Ah, Mr. Fields, at last. I would like to welcome you to Cleveland. My name is Murray Liscone. I'm from the AG Fighting Association. Glad to meet you. How was your trip?"

"It was good, thanks. Quite a bit of security back there, huh?" Jathen said as he gripped the other man's hand.

"Yeah... Sorry about that, just part of the whole procedure. They're just trying to keep us safe. Know what I'm say n'? Anyway, I'll be the guy showing you around while you're here in town."

"I can't wait," said Jathen as Murray ushered him toward the tunnel exit. "So, this is the city of hope? I hope it provides me with some wealth."

Murray laughed, "You stick with us, my friend, and we'll not only make you rich, we'll make you a star." He motioned toward the stairs. "We need to get you right over and settled in at your hotel. You'll be staying at the Islasin Hotel for the next few days."

He led Jathen out of the tunnel and onto a walkway that overlooked the street. Jathen gazed out at the vast cityscape in amazement. He could hear Murray chuckling to himself.

The sight of the city was very overwhelming, especially to a newcomer like Jathen. People on the outside never experienced a vista quite like this. The entrance was set at a height that provided a simply breathtaking view. The sky—or ceiling—was a brilliant, oversaturated blue color and looked like something from a fairy tale. The impressive city skyline expanded into the distance, made from various shapes and sizes of buildings. The surrealistic architecture shined with metallic colors of blues and burgundy, reflecting the colors of the ceiling. The entire city appeared to shimmer. Each unique construction had a variety of subtle color differences between them, yet still kept the unison that achieved a consistency. Everything seemed to fit just right.

Murray watched Jathen with a smile on his face. "I always love to see peoples' faces when they first get a glimpse of the inside city. It really is something."

Jathen just nodded in agreement as he looked on at the enormous expanse. He could think of nothing to say.

The two made their way toward the vehicle Murray had waiting for them. Jathen was again mesmerized by what he saw. The vehicles and people looked foreign to him. Egg-shaped, capsule-like vehicles of many sizes zoomed by with various soft humming sounds. Smaller in the front and larger in the rear, the aerodynamic vehicles banked from side to side when they turned. He had never seen anything quite like them. They must have been limited to the city. There was nothing like them anywhere else in the world.

"The vehicles use an electromagnetic propulsion device to hold them in place and propel them forward," said Murray as he motioned toward the street. "The roads are dotted with a series of magnetic hubs that the vehicles use to pull them forward."

These hubs were not relegated to the ground either, they also rose into the air and circled buildings, giving the egg-shaped vehicles an appearance of flight. They zipped along their crowded magnetic paths silently. They gave the city a majestic form of kinetics.

The sidewalks were filled with people coming and going. They wore many different types of clothing, creating a wide range of individuality. Digital clothing appeared to be the primary form of fashion. On any specific article of clothing, moving animation or movie quality pictures could be found in any form imaginable.

Jathen glanced down at his own plain gray t-shirt that stretched tightly across his chest. He didn't feel too out of place. With such a variety of fashion, he sort of blended in. One man wore a traditional suit while another had a suit made of hemp. Another wore a complete digital denim outfit with a black denim tie that had a moving yellow stripe.

The people wearing t-shirts had moving animation on their shirts. One little boy had a digital snake that continually wrapped around his body, while his obviously older brother wore a shirt with a violent Spartan attacking an adversary. A young lady had a pair of lips on the back of her shorts that made provocative kissing motions. Jathen was in awe. The clothing he was used to seeing was of a more standard style: simple, plain and practical. Where he came from, survival was a bit more important than fashion.

Hairstyles varied as well. Some hair looked normal to him, while others looked entirely strange. There were molded hairdos, formed into various shapes and sizes with an assortment of colors. A particularly strange looking fellow had blood-red hair jutting out and up from the top of his head, it molded into a lightning bolt shape. He wore a white tank top with a matching red bolt on his chest, and his pants were white with splashes of mud digitally marked near the bottom. Jathen couldn't help but stare at the odd-looking individual.

Even with all the strange people and vehicles, the most intriguing aspect of the city was the overhead sky. The sun, the clouds and the wild blue yonder stretched to the horizon creating a synthetic view of a perfect summer afternoon—a remarkable sight. Jathen craned his neck from side to side as he gazed at the beautiful overhead symmetry of a perfect summer day. He looked around to see if the sky had any imperfections, but the scene was complete. It expanded in all directions, as if it were the real thing. Only it wasn't, he knew the real reason the synthetic digital sky existed. It created a mirage hiding the underside of the electromagnetic dome that encased the city. Sky Canopy protected the city from rain, snow and any other kind of bad weather outside, and most importantly, it was a defensive shield designed to keep the monstrous Ferals out.

As Jathen was about to enter the egg-shaped vehicle, he noticed a large group of people that had amassed just outside of the tunnel exit. They chanted and shouted out verses and held signs with various messages. They appeared to be waiting for someone to arrive. The common theme amongst their shouts and signs was the word apocalypse. One man pointed at him and yelled something about hell being outside. Jathen just stared back at the man. He had met many fanatical lunatics in his lifetime, and he didn't expect any less inside the city.

Still, some of the crazies had grounded meaning behind their twisted views. If you could strip away some of the bullshit, you might actually find something useful. Jathen always listened to what some of these guys had to say. Sometimes he even agreed, but most of the time he kept his opinions to himself. He didn't like to take life entirely seriously, listening to some of these over-serious maniacs provided him with a form of entertainment.

He looked around and read some of the digital signs: one read, 'Hell on Earth has come', with burning letters. Others: 'We live in a bubble in Hell.' 'God has forsaken us.' 'The demons have come.' 'Satan is on Earth.' The last one held Jathen's gaze for a moment, then Murray interrupted him.

"Don't pay any attention to the cultist maniacs. If they're right, and hell has taken over, then Sky Canopy is a little piece of heaven. Wait till I show you around. You can see for yourself. No more worrying about Ferals. You see this sky above us... This baby protects us from everything. I bet if the earth was destroyed, we could float through space. We have everything we need right here inside the city. We don't need anything outside the dome. I'm going to take you on a tour, you'll see." Murray motioned for Jathen to enter the vehicle.

"Looking forward to it, Murray. Show me the way," said Jathen as he ducked down and slid into the back seat of the vehicle. He thought to himself about what kind of wonders the city would reveal, about the size and the technology. I've got to figure out a way to make this stay permanent. This place is amazing.

Murray lifted Jathen's bag and took it to the back compartment of the car. "Wow this is heavy. What did you do, bring a bunch of rocks with you?" he said with a grunt.

Murray walked to the passenger side window, rested his arms on the top of the vehicle, and ducked his head down, pausing for a moment, "After that last fight, we really liked what we saw, Jathen. We think you can make a great addition to our association."

Jathen nodded and continued to look around. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'll definitely make a good addition to your company. All you have to do is show me the right amount of money," he said confidently.

"We'll take care of you, my friend," said Murray as he jumped into the driver's seat.

The vehicle was black, sleek and smooth. The inside was plush and clean. It wasn't large, but it felt spacious. Murray hit a few buttons and waved his hands around in the air, the elongated vehicle sped away from the curb.

"We're going to get you set up at the hotel and then we're going to go have dinner at this great restaurant called Jim's Place."

Jathen leaned forward. "Murray, if it's on your tab, I'll enjoy it, I promise."

Murray flicked out his finger to point at Jathen, "It's a deal."

Murray spun around in his chair as the autopilot took over, "Oh, you'll love it here, trust me. Tonight I just want you to enjoy. I know I'm going to; been working my ass off lately. I haven't had a good meal in weeks. You and I are going to have us a good old time."

Wonder what he thinks a good meal is, Jathen thought. I'm used to dry bread, beef jerky and dirty water. "Sounds good man." Jathen slid his finger in and out of one of the grooves on the side of the car door. "So, tell me a little about yourself, Murray, you said you've been working your ass off. What kind of stuff do you do?"

"Well, what I've been doing lately is setting up the invitation for you. Normally, I deal with some of the other fighters. Set up their matches, help fix any kind of problems they may be dealing with—women and kids and that kind of thing. I do a lot of sitting in front of the holo-computer looking at stats and stuff.

"So you're an agent."

"Yeah, you could say that. I keep busy with the fighters. I mean, what else do I have to do, get myself in trouble with some new lady friend? I've had my fill of that, brother. Women are nothing but trouble. Can't live with em', can't live without em'. Know what I'm saying?"

"I certainly do. Only, where I come from, there aren't as many around to get in trouble with."

Murray turned his seat back around to face forward. "There are plenty of them in here, man. We'll get you fixed up. Then before you know it, you'll be asking me for help just like the other fellas." He laughed. "That's what I like to call job security."

If women were the biggest problem, especially figuring out which one to date... then this was Jathen's kind of place. But the women could wait.

As the car headed toward the hotel, Jathen thought about his course of action. He had come out east from his home in the west for a reason. He wanted money and fame, and most of all he wanted a permanent place here in the city. He had come this far, it was nearly within his grasp.

He was confident he could find a way to make Cleveland his permanent home. True citizenship may be hard to get, but somewhere out there in this big city is the answer. I just need to find it.

12 Snow

BRING, BRING! "Good afternoon, Snow, you have a visitor at the front door," said the soft computer-generated female voice of Snowflake, Snow's compu-mainframe servant.

Alessia Mariano, rolled over and stretched her arms out over her head, arching her back as she awakened. "What time is it, and who is here?" she asked as if talking to someone in the room.

The soft voice of Snowflake replied. "It is one thirty p.m. Councilman George McArthy is at your door."

Snow swung her legs to the side of her queen size bed. It took up the majority of the space she called her bedroom. She walked a couple paces forward to the wall and a part of it slid to the left to reveal a small closet space. Various clothing items hung inside the small compartment. She waved her arm through the air as if she were going to spin a wheel. The hangers began to move as new clothing entered the closet space. As the clothing cycled along, she made another motion that slowed the movement. She stopped it, removed a light blue robe from the hanger and slipped it over her slender shoulders.

BRING BRING! "The councilman wishes to speak with you, Snow. Should I tell him you are on your way, or would you like me to tell him you are indisposed?"

"Sorry, Snowflake, tell him I'll be right there."

She left the small bedroom and entered a room that consisted of a small kitchen and lounging area. It was marginally larger than the bedroom. She continued toward the front door of her apartment and waved her hand through the air again, this time as if she would be unlocking a bolt lock. The door released with a hiss and opened by sliding into the side of the wall. A man in his middle thirties stood casually with his arm draped above the door. His wide smile stretched ear-to-ear. His business attire made Snow feel underdressed even though she had just woken up. She noticed his jacket was unbuttoned revealing an expensive dark burgundy, button-down shirt, with stainless steel buttons.

"Good morning, Darling," said the man with a hint of sweetness in his voice.

"Morning, George. Please come in." Snow forced a smile and leaned in to give the man a small kiss on the lips. Then turned her back and walked toward the kitchen.

"Um, Lise, you're kind of... blue."

Snow looked down at her arms and noticed that her skin was a light blue color. "Oh... sorry, you know I like to sleep with low body temperature. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Her skin gradually began to fade back to a normal creamy pink tone.

"I don't mind the skin color. It's actually kind of sexy," said George. "It's just the kiss, I feel like I'm kissing a stone statue. But... I'll take any kiss I can get from the hottest, most dangerous chick in the city."

She smiled as she reached for a cup. "So what brings you over at this time of the day?"

"I had some time and I just wanted to see you before the council meeting. We've barely had any time together lately. I've been busy with the council and you've been on, the big stake out."

Snow didn't reply, she knew what was coming next.

"By the way, how did everything go?"

Right on cue, she thought. "Ah ha, the real reason you've come over."

"No, no... not at all. I was simply worried about you. I know how dangerous that part of town is—"

"Sure. I think you just wanted to hear the outcome of the mission."

"OK, you've got me. I do want to give the council an update on that thorn in our sides, Drake," he pressed the issue ever so slightly. "So, I can guess everything is OK? And for the record, I was worried about my favorite girl."

She stepped toward him grabbing his necktie with the slowly fading pattern of dots and straightened it. Then she placed her arms around his waist. "Everything was fine. I took Drake down myself. Everything is cool. No pun intended."

"Awesome news! Details?"

"They'll be in my report. You can read about it," she teased.

She began to pull away, but George stopped her and pulled her closer. "You're not going to actually make me read the report. I have a better idea..." He kissed her on the lips again softly. "That's much better. How about dinner tonight? I'll give you an update on the council and you can tell me the details about the mission. I'd really like to give the council some positive news, being that there is always so much negative."

"I know. I just like giving you a hard time. "You can take me out tonight to celebrate. I'd like some king crab legs."

"King crab? You're getting a little pricey on me Darling."

"Oh, I see... One moment I'm the most dangerous chick, the next I'm simply overpriced? I see how you politician types are."

"You are pricey. But... It's money well spent," he said slyly. He quickly changed his tone back to serious. "I should probably get going, the meeting is in forty-five minutes... Unless you think we have time for a quickie."

She smiled. "Not right now. I want to work out, then head into the office and get started on the report. I promise I'll make it up to you tonight."

He released her and headed toward the door. "I'll hold you to that." He opened the door to leave and took one last glance over his shoulder. "Crab legs it is. I'll see you tonight, if I can wait that long."

George always had a way of putting things. He was a real charmer. Of course he was a politician and charming people was part of his job, but that didn't matter. Snow was satisfied with her current situation. She wasn't ready to get serious. George treated her very well. Being part of E-Squad took up a lot of her time. She needed to train, research and fight bad guys. George was perfect for her, even if he was secondary.

She slid a cup into the drink slot in the side of the kitchen wall. A small door closed over the opening. She scanned down the list of drinks that appeared digitally on the wall. "Ah, caramel macchiato sounds good." She hit the button and she could hear the cup begin to fill.

She thought about the conversation she had just had. George was always so gracious with compliments, 'most dangerous chick in the city' if he only knew.

She liked the admiration, but she hoped he understood the dangers that came with her job. He could very quickly be short one E-squad girlfriend. The criminals she faced were ruthless. Any one of them would kill her in a heartbeat. The Ultra gene provided her with advantages over most normal humans, and her E-Squad techno-suit with all its wonderful gadgets turned her into a human weapon. But, underneath it all she was still human. She could still be hurt and killed like anyone else.

She saw the small door open and she grabbed her morning drink. She took a sip and closed her eyes. That's really good.

Carefully, with cup in hand, she skipped back to her room to change into some workout clothing. She was eager to start the day. It had been a long time coming, but they finally arrested one of the top criminals of the slums, and she was feeling rather good about it. She had actually helped to make a small difference and that feeling was wonderful. What's next, she thought.

13 Vander

Vander Lee had arrived in Cleveland on the magna-rail train along with Jathen Fields. He had even sat close behind the mixed-martial arts fighter, but he didn't feel the need to introduce himself. He was busy preparing for his meeting with the council. He was sure he would run into the overnight celebrity soon enough.

Vander took a moment to behold the grand view of the city when he arrived from the train station, but he didn't waste much time. He had a pretty good idea what to expect from the research that he had done prior to his visit. He liked being well prepared.

However, he did spend some time watching the arrival of Sebastian Mlock, the Apocalyptic Cultist from the outside, here to protest against Sky Canopy. The man must have been on the same train as Vander and Jathen. A large crowd had gathered for his arrival and waited just off the ramp. At the sight of their so-called leader, the fanatics quickly whipped into frenzy. Vander caught a glimpse of the dark robed cultist before the crowd engulfed him.

The dark priest is here once again to spread his word. I'm sure he will cause a good deal of chaos. It's a pity that he is the Outsider with the single most visits to the city. Such a waste. His goals are not entirely different from my own, albeit for different reasons. An interesting fellow that one—I think I should like to speak with him someday.

After a quick journey to the Islasin Hotel, Vander hopped out onto the curb, paid his cab fair, and headed inside.

The small hotel lobby was plain yet elegant. The marble floor met the far wall where a thin sheet of water poured down over an illuminated blue surface. Two sets of furniture consisting of dark leather sofas and chairs decorated the left and right sides. A single man sat in a leather chair engrossed in his digital pad.

Vander walked under a stainless steel arch, just past the entrance and a holo-clerk materialized in front of him. The ghostly man in a red bellhop suit stood behind a small podium. "Welcome to the Islasin Hotel, Mr. Lee. We are very happy to have you staying with us. Your room has been prepared for you. Please enter the lightvator and proceed to room five thirty-two." A ticket popped out of the podium with Vander's room number. "Once you have made your way to your room, you can contact guest services with any question you may have. Thank you and enjoy your stay with us."

Vander found his way to his room and placed his thumb on the keypad. After a soft click, the door opened and he walked in. The room was small but cozy. The queen-sized bed comforter was deep burgundy with a large script logo of the hotel name.

Vander noticed the circular holo-vision hardware jammed in the corner of the room. He snapped his fingers, and as expected, a vivid three-dimensional picture sprang up from the circular machine. He smiled with a slight bit of excitement. Hmm, he was looking forward to playing around with one of these.

After surfing through some of the channels, he settled on a local news feed. He needed to catch up on any current events that had transpired recently inside Cleveland. Being able to speak intelligently to the members of the council about any breaking news would help him be more prepared for tomorrow's meeting.

Vander had learned early in his life that being prepared was half the battle. He remembered how he had gotten started with politics, how he had researched out which people to make friends—or acquaintances—within the town of Columbus. How he would attend the town meetings and make his opinions known. How he learned which topics to speak about. Information was knowledge and knowledge was power. Without it, he would not be sitting in the room he currently sat in preparing as always.

Placing his travel bag on the side of the bed, he sat down and crossed his legs as he watched the news. He felt his stomach grumble and remembered that he hadn't eaten since breakfast. He picked up the small, black, square-shaped phone and hit the service button. "Yes, hello. I would like to order some dinner please. Yes... room fine thirty-two. Yes... oh, OK. Hold on." He turned the square-shaped phone horizontal and a green menu sprung up in front of him. "OK, sorry. I'm new at this. I would like the grilled chicken sandwich, green beans, a small side salad with vinaigrette and the cherry cobbler for desert please. Yes... Thank you."

He was excited about the dinner, especially the cobbler. He couldn't remember the last time he had dessert. Hopefully it comes quick. I'm starving.

He focused his attention back to the news.

"This is Cybra and you are experiencing Live Cast News. In today's latest events, Scientists continue to search for answers on the latest epidemic. More and more Cleveland citizens are complaining of having lack of strength and energy. Scientists attribute this problem to the growing lack of motivation and lethargy, a known factual problem that has worsened over the past two decades. People have become more and more dependent on machines and less active. But most scientists believe that the lack of motivation has worsened in the last several years and may be caused by outside influences--possibly a new form of disease? We'll keep you posted. To find out about the scientists facts and theories, visit Clevelandscience.nt"

Vander was experienced in how to manipulate these machines and he flicked his wrist upward to change the view. Holo-vision was not common on the outside, but Vander had connections.

"The Apocalyptic have their own view as to the reasons for all the things that are unsolved. They believe Hell has found its way inside. They plan to hold a rally tomorrow at the generator. Police enforcement has been issued and security measures are being taken. Visit their blog to find out if you agree. Apocalypse-now.bg."

"In other news, the Cleveland birth rate has continued to decline. Studies conclude that less and less females are getting pregnant; the growing number of males that visit cyber-sex brothels could be the cause of this. But the study also reports that sex among male and female partners is NOT down, in fact it has risen. Fewer partners are monogamous in this day and age. Sex is still abundant, just without the results of pregnancy.

"Continued sporadic electricity failures have officials concerned that the Sky Canopy generator needs more help. The seven nuclear power plants are all running and feeding power to the grid, but the Sky Canopy generator is our main source of power. Not only does it keep us protected from the Feral threat, it also provides the most power output of all the other facilities combined. The generator itself has checked out to be running well, but the black outs are still a mystery. Check back with us as more information becomes available."

Vander waived his hand through the hologram control module and the digital woman projecting upward from the center of the machine changed to another reporter. He stretched his arms back over his head and took a deep breath. These Insiders sure have it easy.

The room was clean and well kept. It was small, but much nicer than any room he had ever stayed in. Luxuries of this kind were not experienced anywhere on the outside. The rest of the world was a harsh, brutal, dirty place. They didn't have to worry about a Feral invasion or shortage of food. Everything was right at their fingertips.

He heard a double beep and a light flashed in the side of the wall. He slid his finger down the latch and the door released, revealing his steaming dinner. The fragrance of the food immediately filled the room and he felt his stomach grumble again. He liked the quick service and he hoped the food tasted as good as it smelled. He placed the tray on his lap and opened the lid. It even looks good. He took the first bite and returned his attention to the hologram in the corner. The council would meet their match tomorrow.

14 Harrison

Harrison Timburk closed the door to his office for the evening. He raised his badge to the doorknob and heard a soft click, ensuring that it was locked tight. He flexed his leg instinctively. His knee had gotten tight from sitting all day. Moving with a slight limp, he turned to leave.

His top floor office was somewhat of an art gallery. The industrial, dull metal-colored walls were covered with evenly spaced, vibrant, abstract digital paintings. Harrison was a fan of art and he kept the office looking contemporary. His company, Timburk security Inc., was the company that provided the security for the Sky Canopy generator.

His receptionist sat fiddling with her personal nano-pod just outside his office. "Have a great evening Mr. Timburk. Stretch out that leg some tonight. I can see you limping," she said as he passed by.

"Thank you, Sally. I'm headed home to work out right now. You have a nice evening also," he replied. You could use some exercise yourself, lady. I can see the cellulite hanging on your arms. He smiled as he departed.

Harrison was in good shape for a forty-six-year-old man, but the old wound on his repaired left knee tightened up from time to time. A gift he received back in the Border Wars.

In his early days, before he founded his company, he served as a security enforcer under the head of the AOCC, Walter Huff. Those days had long past, and he had since become an accomplished businessman.

He stood and waited for the lightvator door to open. He entered the small space and pushed the button for the main lobby. The door closed, immediately opening back up into the main lobby. I can't get over this new lightvator. Props to me for having one installed. It was worth the extra money, it's way cooler than the old elevator.

A lightvator was the most exciting invention of the twenty-first century. It was real teleportation, Point A to point B in a flash. The technology had only just been installed and he was more than happy with the result.

He exited the lightvator and joined the rest of the vacating crowd. A small, attractive young lady in front of him walked as if she knew she was hot, one leg in front of the other like a model on the runway. Great ass, he thought to himself as he watched her butt shake within her form-fitting outfit. He strained his neck to get one last glimpse as she turned the corner.

Harrison had a weakness for attractive women, he liked all kinds: short, tall, red hair, blonde hair, big tits, small tits...you name it. Sometimes he even found something he liked on the over-weight ones. Damn, that was nice. There are just too many women in this city, and not enough time for me. That's it...I am dedicating the rest of my life to fucking each and every one of them.

Sally was the only woman he stayed away from, sexually that is. He treated her with respect because she was of great value to him with his daily activities. He had kept their relationship strictly professional.

Upon exiting the building he glanced back up at his office, feeling quite satisfied with his life's accomplishments. His business was located near the center of the city, which was dominated by towering skyscrapers. The tallest of which was the AOCC tower that reached nearly to the top of Sky Canopy. He could even see the old Cleveland Terminal Tower that still stood as a landmark several blocks from AOCC tower. Harrison Securities Inc. was just another business that occupied a floor of a building amongst the great spanning skyline of the mega city.

Slipping through the mass of people heading home from work, Harrison reached the car-calling intercom. He pushed his thumb onto the sensor and a picture of his face popped up on the screen. An advertisement proceeded to play, "Harrison Timburk, you would look great in a new Movoke SS, cruising home in style." That piece of shit couldn't smell my underwear, and the price is way too high. Following the announcement was a short movie clip of him, riding in a fancy sport vehicle home from work. What a joke, he thought.

His real car arrived out of the parking garage system as the commercial ended. He climbed into his own—relatively nice—vehicle and got comfortable before buckling his safety belt. As the door closed, the autopilot asked him where he wished to go.

"Home," he replied as the vehicle melted into the flowing traffic.

The windshield of the egg-shaped vehicle flickered into a television screen. Harrison flipped through several channels before stopping at a sport recap program. The program had highlights from a MMA fight that went on several nights previously, on the Outside. Sports on the Outside don't usually get press. Let's check this out. He watched the highlights and laughed sarcastically at this ring fighter. This guy doesn't know what a real fight is, probably was never even in the war. He continued channel surfing for the remainder of his trip home. Twenty-seven minutes later, he arrived at his penthouse.

As he headed for the door, he noticed an elderly man propped up against the far wall of his building. The man appeared to be out of breath and was having trouble recomposing himself. Why don't you hurry up and die, old man. I'm tired of seeing you loitering around, he thought, conveniently avoiding the elderly gentleman and continuing toward his home.

More and more people had begun to grow lazy and unhealthy as the years passed. He himself had found it strangely harder to motivate himself, but being as strong willed as he was, he managed to keep his daily routine consistent. As of late, the media had begun to create conspiracy theories on a new disease that caused a lack of motivation. It was all just nonsense to Harrison.

He crossed the building's lobby and headed for the elevator. They really need to upgrade this old damn thing. Maybe I'll buy a lightvator myself. This is getting ridiculous. Just as the door was about to close he heard someone yelling to hold the elevator. It was old-lady McGrorty. He rolled his eyes and put his hand on the door as he watched the old woman roll her grocery cart into the elevator with him. As the door began to close, someone else reached in and opened the door again. Harrison shook his head.

A young girl stepped through the opening. "Phew... barely made it," she said. The girl wore the skimpiest shorts possible and a top that loosely tied in the front, revealing a large amount of cleavage and her entire mid section. Her long-blue hair curled around her heavily make-up covered face. Harrison couldn't help but stare.

Old-lady McGrorty looked at the younger woman and curled her lip in disgust. "Does your mother know how you're dressed there, young lady?"

The younger girl glared at old-lady McGrorty. "Mind your own fucking business, bitch."

The old woman gasped. "Oh, I never..."

Harrison found it slightly amusing. He hoped their little squabble would continue. He actually rather liked the way the younger girl was dressed.

The elevator stopped at the fifth floor and old-lady McGrorty slowly departed, shaking her head in disgust. The younger girl gave her the finger as the door closed.

Harrison looked down at the low cut cleavage. Must be some rich daddy's girl, he thought. She might need to be taught some manners.

"What are you looking at, asshole!" said the girl. "I'll bet my boyfriend would smash your face in if he saw you staring at my tits like that."

Harrison smiled, leaned over to the elevator control panel, and hit the emergency stop button. He grabbed the girl by the neck and pushed her against the wall. "Would he now?"

The girl couldn't scream with her wind-pipe being crushed. "Your boyfriend isn't here right now, is he? I can do whatever I want to you. I'm going to take my hand off your throat and you aren't going to make so much as a peep, or I'll crush your windpipe right here and now. Understood?"

The young girl nodded. She had quickly changed her attitude and obeyed his command without hesitation. He reached up and pulled the knot loose on her shirt revealing her large, firm breasts. He ran his hand along the outer curve of her left breast until his thumb rested on her nipple. He ducked down and cupped the other breast in his hand before popping the nipple into his mouth. He pulled back tugging gently with his teeth.

A tear rolled down the girl's cheek as Harrison stood back up to his full height. "Oh, it's okay..." he brushed the tear from her cheek. "That wasn't so bad was it? What happened to little miss tough-chick? You're not so tough are you?" he said in a mocking voice.

He tied her shirt back together and gave her breast one last squeeze. "I think it's time you started to respect your elders, even if that lady is an old bitch. Right?" he waited for her response. "Right!?"

She nodded again.

He leaned in very close so that his nose nearly touched hers. "You're not going to tell anyone about our little chat, are you?" He stared into her eyes with all his will power, knowing that she had to obey. His special gift made this possible. "Let's try to be a little more... nice." He reached over and hit the button on the elevator. As the door opened on the fourteenth floor, Harrison smacked her on the ass one time. "Run along home now," he told her and waved good-bye.

As the elevator reached his floor, he chuckled to himself. Now that was fun. Maybe these old elevators are good for something after all.

His west-side penthouse sat perched atop one of the high-rise apartment buildings, amongst most of the other wealthier people that lived inside the vast city. Upscale living lay scattered throughout a park-like setting, with beautiful gardens tucked into every available space. Harrison's extravagantly lit building was at the northern end facing one of the parks. His penthouse had a spectacular view that overlooked the lake. The great dome of Sky Canopy extended into the water, creating a synthetic lakeside view. Another perfect sunset please, he thought as he smiled to himself.

The whole side of the penthouse that faced the lake was glass, including the dining area, living room and master bedroom. The home was decorated with digital art, as was his office. Most hung on the walls and slowly morphed into different abstract shapes. The living room had two silvery leather couches that faced each other overtop a holo-vision set. The back wall currently displayed a jungle theme. It appeared as if the jungle was just outside the window. In actuality, it was no more than a digital projection creating an illusion. The art on the other walls reflected the jungle by displaying earthy colored abstract art.

Harrison stepped into the entry way and the lights automatically came to life. His closet door opened and he placed his briefcase on a shelf. He then slid his fingers across a touch screen and his personal p-mail popped up. He quickly scanned the read-out. Nothing of interest, he thought. "What a waste of money." He closed the screen and headed for his bedroom.

When he reached his clothing closet he touched a space on the wall and a hanger zoomed into the space in front of him. He removed his workout outfit from the hanger and began to slide it onto his body. The suit, made of tight fitting rubber, covered him completely, excluding his face. Circular shaped points, spaced out evenly, covered the suit. These receptacles helped create a virtual experience. The gloves where especially covered in smaller detailed circles.

After putting on the outfit, he continued into the virtual simulation room to begin his workout. This room was the most technologically advanced room in the apartment, creating a complete simulation experience. Maybe after I'm done here, I'll go find some entertainment for the night. Hell, maybe I'll go back and find that little blue-haired bimbo. She probably likes it real hard.

Harrison approached the control panel and scrolled through the list of options. He decided on the football simulation and tapped the icon, then stood still while his suite synchronized with the program.

When a green light appeared on his left arm informing him the suit was ready, he grabbed his visor off the control system and slipped it onto his face. The lights dimmed and the program loaded for several seconds. Then, a holographic wire frame began to take shape. As it filled in a virtual stadium began to materialize. The effect was complete with surround-sound crowd noise and virtual spectators that appeared realistic.

Harrison moved to the center of the room as the player models filled in around him. He would be playing the quarterback position. He took his spot behind the center and yelled, "HIKE."

He could feel pressure in his hand from the suit as it simulated him holding a football. The floor moved with his steps, allowing him to walk or run in any direction. He moved to avoid an oncoming pass rusher and threw down field to an open receiver.

"First down," burst out the overhead announcer. "Timburk almost got sacked on that play, but made the throw and has his team looking to score."

On the next play he was hit for a four-yard loss. The suit put the appropriate pressure around his mid section to simulate getting tackled by the defensive player. The sensation was nothing like taking a real hit, but it gave him a startling jolt when he felt the pressure. This was a safe way to feel like he was playing in a big game without the risk of injury from a tackler, and was an especially good workout.

Still, he didn't like losing. Damn it! Need to stop thinking about tits-and-ass and concentrate.

Harrison continued his workout and played a forty-five minute game. He ended up winning twenty-four to twenty, playing both quarterback and linebacker.

After the lights came back on, he replaced the visor on the control panel and shut the system down. He then exited the room and went to go get cleaned off. He removed the suit and placed it in the special closet. Hitting a button started a cycle that would automatically clean the suit for the next use.

He then entered the bathroom and stepped into the shower. He turned the control knob to cool. The overhead climate light began to give off a bluish light that cooled Harrison's sweaty, naked body. There was no water in this shower, yet it still gave him the same soothing affect.

The cleaner beams revved-up and a circular ring of lights cast a simultaneous set of white lasers that covered the contours of his body. The ring moved up slowly until it reached his head and the cleaning lasers began to run their cycle. They cleaned off his body and even exfoliated his skin, so that it was smooth and fresh.

The next step was the hair removal beams. It was common practice for both men and women alike to have all hair removed except on the face and head. Some even removed all hair from the head as well, but Harrison liked his full head of hair, something not all men his age could truthfully say they had. With no need to dry off, he exited the shower and walked back into his closet to get dressed for dinner.

After toying with the young girl in the elevator, he decided that he needed to satisfy some urges. Maybe I'll eat out tonight. See if I can't find myself some female company for the evening. He slipped on an expensive shirt and looked at himself in the mirror. Let's go get into some trouble.

15 Jathen

As Jathen Fields sat in his own small hotel room somewhere across town, he thought about how he might be able to get used to this—all the chauffeurs and dinners and nice hotels. He liked the thought of a lavish life, but he didn't like the thought of getting soft.

He liked to stay on edge, be at his peak physical and mental awareness. Even though he tried to stay relatively stress free, his whole life had been spent outside he had to stay focused to stay alive. He didn't want to lose that edge, even if he gained the permanent citizenship within the city and the money and fame he longed for.

A voice from an unseen speaker let him know that Murray had arrived and was waiting in the main lobby. He glanced in the mirror before he left, flashing a quick smile to himself before he headed down to meet Murray. The black silk, button-up shirt they provided him with looked good. He liked the way the subtle vertical stripes reflected the light ever so softly. He tugged on the sleeves and headed for the door.

The city streets were just amazing. The extremely tall buildings stretched away into the distance in all directions. It made him feel like he was a tiny little speck. He couldn't believe what was held underneath the large dome. A completely different world from where he came from, this place had moved on and the outside had moved backward. The strange shapes of buildings and vehicles that surrounded him were disorienting. He took a deep breath. This is going to take some getting used to, he thought.

He slid back into the sleek, black vehicle with Murray at the controls. After a brief greeting, Murray steered them onto one of the lift entrances. Jathen felt his stomach drop as the car shot into the air, climbing higher and higher. He had fought Ferals and humans alike, and looked death in the face many times, but this sensation gave him a feeling of helplessness. He felt a touch of fear as the vehicle climbed higher into the air, pulled along by the magnetic hubs.

"Don't worry, man. This is totally safe," said Murray as he glanced back at Jathen.

Jathen didn't say a word. He just stared out the window as the buildings passed by and the ground grew farther away. He didn't like the feeling he was getting from peering out the window, so he looked down at his hands that rested on his knees; he could see the scars that covered his knuckles. They took his mind off the feeling of helplessness and brought his thoughts back inward.

He thought about all the other scars—both physical and mental—that he had accumulated over the years from fighting both humans and Ferals. Living in this city would end the threat of the Ferals. He was close and he knew it.

He looked at the small, digital screen embedded into the back of the seat in front of him. A video news flash showed a logo for something called E-Squad. "They did it again. E-Squad seizes another bad guy. Details at news-stop.ra." The screen changed and showed an advertisement for a pet-sitting service.

"What is E-Squad?" asked Jathen.

"E-Squad? Oh...those guys are like some kind of super high-tech police force or something. Rumor has it they're all Ultras. Personally, I just think they have a bunch of high-tech weaponry mumbo-jumbo."

Ultras huh? thought Jathen. That sounds interesting. I might need to find out a little more about them.

A mildly terrifying, yet short ride later, they arrived atop a tall building. They stopped in front of a restaurant called Jim's Place. Murray described it as a large rather popular nightspot fashioned around a sports theme.

They exited the vehicle and stepped through the bright-orange front door. The entryway showcased digital sports images covering the walls from floor to ceiling. The interior was sports related, highlighting all the popular sports from the twentieth century with elegance. The crowd was made up of mostly young people, but still had a good mix of ages. As they passed through the entryway, a woman immediately recognized Murray and greeted him. She led them through the crowd and toward a table.

As they navigated through the crowded restaurant, Jathen's mouth began to water. He could smell the delightful scents of all the different dinners being served. He saw many types of appetizers: potatoes with cheese and bacon, wings with red spicy sauce, chips and creamy dip. The dinners looked even better: pulled pork sandwiches, large plentiful salads with chunks of chicken or shrimp, skewers of meat with vegetables, large overloaded baked potatoes with sour cream, cheese and bacon. A man feasted on twin chicken breasts covered in white gravy with melted cheese. Another cut into his plump, juicy steak and plucked it from his fork like a bird. The amount of food was staggering.

At the restaurant's center was a large holo-vision stage. The rectangular shape was roughly twenty by thirty and featured a football game. Jathen noted how it appeared to be like a smaller version of a real game. The hologram looked uncannily realistic.

Hoisted above the holo-vision was a statuesque version of the man the restaurant was named after. He was one of the great football players of his day, before the dark times. This guy was a sports hero in Cleveland. Sure would be cool to have a restaurant named after me, Jathen thought.

The two men were seated at a table alongside the center holo-stage. Murray watched a few seconds of the game. "This was a replay from when Cleveland first won the championship. I've seen it before, Watch this... There it is." He clapped his hands together. "You really need to check it out for yourself when you have time, the whole game I mean."

Jathen looked down at the hologram. "Football, huh? I've heard of it; it was a game from the old days right?"

"Yeah that was a long time ago. Anyway, we're not here to talk about football. We're here to talk about fighting. We want to know about you. So, tell me a little about yourself, like, where did you learn to fight like that, man?"

Before he answered, Jathen picked up one of the menus the waitress had left for them, and absentmindedly looked at the moving images of sizzling food. His answer was lackadaisical. "Oh, I don't know. Here and there, I guess. Where I came from, it was a pretty tough place. There are these things called Ferals, you may have heard of them."

"I know you're from the outside and all, and I know that's gotta be tough, but what I'm getting at is your martial arts; where'd you learn that?"

Jathen looked up from the menu quizzically. "Already interviewing me?"

"No, no... not at all. I'm seriously a fan. I watched your fight. I'm just curious, man."

"I know, I'm just playing," Jathen said with a slight sense of humor in his voice. "I've had a lot of training over the years, lots of sparring and fighting. I came from Cheyenne, out west. Yes, I was part of the AOCC military out there. I was part of the Chain Guard, so I've had my share of training. As far as straight martial arts...we had a digital library where I came from—it was actually left in working order. I was able to learn a bunch of techniques from that. I also had a great teacher... he's gone now."

"Sorry to hear about that. He must have been great if he taught you."

"Yep. He was." Jathen turned the page on the menu. "So, tell me a little more about E-Squad. Like what kind of stuff do they do?"

Murray must have noticed the change in subject, but he went along with it. "They seem to do police-type work. Most of the news I see is about something they did over in the slums—a place I try to stay away from. Last I heard they took out some new crime lord." Murray unrolled the fork and knife from his napkin and set them on the table. "Why you so interested?"

"Honestly, I'm just trying to find a way to make my stay permanent. You guys are doing me a great favor by bringing me in and possibly signing me to a fight, but that's not going to keep me here."

"I wish there was something else I could do for you. AG just doesn't have that kind of pull. The damn city is too overpopulated. Look at this restaurant...people are everywhere. I'll talk to Mr. Silvara about trying to figure something out for you, but chances of something happening through us is kind of slim. Last time I heard about someone gaining citizenship from outside was over two years ago. They even watch the birth rate around here. Still, E-Squad is a bit crazy if you ask me. Not just the danger part...those guys are ghosts. You won't be famous by becoming one of them. They all keep their identities secret. Us on the other hand...we'll make you famous."

Jathen shook his head in agreement. He wasn't quite sure he did agree though. He could make himself famous by being a part of E-Squad, he didn't care about keeping his identity a secret. Hell, he could still be a fighter.

The waitress appeared in front of him and interrupted his thoughts. The woman was young and pretty, brown loosely pulled-back hair, with blue eyes. "What would you like to drink tonight, gentlemen?" she asked.

Murray spoke first, "I'll take a whiskey on the rocks, whatever your best stuff is. What do you say, Fields? How about a nice hard drink to take the edge off?"

Jathen looked at the waitress and smiled. "I'll have a beer please, whatever you recommend. Not chilled if possible." He looked back at Murray, "I got used to drinking it warm." He waited until the waitress was off to get their drinks before he spoke again. "Do you know how I can get in touch with E-Squad? I'd just like to find out a little more about them."

Murray smiled and shook his head. "I don't know much more about them. No idea how to get in touch with them or even if you can." He shook his head. Don't worry about them. You just stick with us and see what we have to offer."

Jathen smiled. "Like I said before, Murray, you don't have to worry about that. I'll hold up my end of the deal."

Jathen watched a bit more of the game and glanced around at the other restaurant occupants. More strange looking people. A middle-aged couple sat wearing identical blue jump suits. Both had frosted white hair and neon blue lipstick—even the guy wore the lipstick. A child ran by the table and almost fell as he chased after some kind of mechanized lizard toy. Jathen could see the boy's mother motioning for him to get back to the table. It made him laugh. Kids are the same no matter where you are. I wish it were that easy for the adults.

A short time later, the waitress returned with their drinks. "Are you gentlemen ready to order?" she asked politely.

Murray looked at Jathen. "Ready?"

He nodded in reply.

"I think we are ready, young lady," said Murray. "I'll have the filet. I recommend it, Jathen. You should have the same."

"Is that beef steak? Not something I am quite used to eating. It's pretty rare on the outside. If we do get it, it's probably mixed in some kind of patty with who knows what else."

Murray laughed. "Yeah well, you're not outside anymore, Jathen. We have plenty of beef and it's the good stuff. You know they actually grow the steaks. I'm not talking about cows...I mean the actual cut of meat. They grow them in a factory. I'll take you there tomorrow so you can see for yourself. You have to see the little incubator-like things they grow the meat in. It's crazy. Same thing with every other type of food, whole fields of crops packed into layered floors: corn, green beans, peas, wheat... you name it—" He looked up at the waitress as she waited patiently. "Sorry, miss. I get rambling sometimes and don't pay attention. I'll show you all that stuff tomorrow, Jathen. You're going to love it."

I'm sure I will my friend. Jathen nodded to the waitress that he would have the same. He felt somewhat guilty. Here he was about to eat like a king, while so many on the outside were nearly starving.

Jathen sat and listened to Murray for most of dinner as he told Jathen how great the inner city was. Once the food arrived, all Murray's babble just seemed to fade away. Jathen was so hungry he could have started eating the side of the table. He was, however, quite sure the food tasted much better. He had never had such a great meal in all his life. The filet mignon was tender and juicy and literally fell apart in his mouth. The baked potato and asparagus were also amazing, fresh and flavorful. He savored every bite.

After they finished their meal, Murray made plans to see Jathen early in the morning for a tour of the city.

"You sure you're going to be OK here by yourself, Jathen?"

"I can take care of myself, Murray. Thanks for the wonderful dinner. I'm just going to hang around here a bit longer before I head back to the room. I think I'll head over to the bar and have another beer, maybe check out some of the local scenery." He nodded in the direction of a pretty girl.

"Ah, now you're talking. I'll see you tomorrow. Just so we're cool, I'll have transportation waiting for you when you want to leave. Get you back safe and sound."

"Thanks that would be great." He looked around the crowded restaurant. How do I make it possible to come here whenever I want? E-Squad might be the ticket. I need to find out more about them.

16 Swelter

Swelter pushed the throttle forward. He could feel himself being pulled back into the seat as the vehicle picked up speed. This car is awesome, he thought.

He had just purchased a brand new Fastario Cheetah. The slick bright red sport pod zipped down the street passing a car with a family filled with kids. He smiled as the kids pointed at the slender sporty vehicle.

Darkness had descended from the night sky that Sky Canopy projected. The city had transformed into a majestic symphony of lights as the buildings and the cars twinkled in the dimness of night. Horizontal strips glowed at the front of every vehicle as they sped by, banking from side to side. The flow of lights faded into the distance with the ever changing and shifting of headlights and taillights.

The lights on the dash glowed with a soft blue hue. All molded chrome and micro lighting, the gauges and the holo-interface looked as slick as his onboard computer in his techno-suit.

Swelter was living on a high. He and his team had just taken down Drake, he had a sparkly new car, and he hadn't seen a Feral in years. Life was good.

He glanced over at himself in the mirror, his new white sunglasses covered his dark eyes and his black hair fell down around his face. He wore normal street clothes, a black t-shirt with a glowing E-Squad logo and jeans. You are so lucky you handsome devil, he thought.

He steered the Cheetah onto the lift platform and pushed the throttle forward even more. His stomach dropped as he flung into the air, carried along by the magnetic propulsion. He could hear the hyper-engine wine softly as it lifted him up into the air. "WHOOOOOO HOOO."

He reached over into the passenger seat and grabbed the bottle of tequila. He pored himself a generous mouthful and felt the slight burn as the liquid trickled into his stomach. It only took a moment, but he felt his whole body heat up. The alcohol didn't affect him like it did other humans. His body treated the liquid as a fuel source; it would process and release any harmful substances into a combustible surge of energy. He had trouble controlling his powers without his E-squad suit, but with the technology, he proved to be a strong teammate that could cause a variety of damage. The suit pumped him full of radiation and allowed him to focus this energy into concentrated forms of heat and fire.

"Window down." He yelled. He stuck his arm out the window and released. A pyro-telekinetic burst exploded from his hand nearly ten feet away like a small firework. The oncoming vehicle swerved at the site of the blast.

"Shit! Sorry, man. Didn't see you there buddy." He felt a tiny bit embarrassed. Man, I gotta pay more attention.

Being a part of E-squad forced Swelter to be responsible. But sometimes, he couldn't help but have a little fun. Breaking a few little rules never hurt anyone. It was nice to cut loose.

He pulled into the parking garage high atop the Genex apartment complex. Santee was already waiting for him. His friend wore a green athletic shirt made of stretchy thin material. The shirt was pulled down around his chubby belly and had light gray stripes on the sides of the arms. His face was round and full with a dishwater blonde mop of hair covering his head. His farm-boy appearance was out of the ordinary.

"How do you like the new ride, Esse?" Swelter yelled out the window.

"Seriously? Is this yours?" Santee asked in astonishment.

"Sure is. Just off the lot. Hop in, mang, lets go for a ride."

Santee was a good dude. Swelter had met him at the virtual soccer league several years ago, when he first arrived inside. They had been buddies ever since.

"Man, I know we don't hang out a ton, but someday you have to show me what you do for a living, Pavel."

"I told you before, Amigo, I work for the AOCC."

"Yeah, but doing what? How can you afford this?"

"Uh... I don't do anything special. Just push numbers around." He sped out of the garage and whipped into the sky lane. The Cheetah rocked to the side from the momentum.

Santee grabbed the door handle. "Take it easy. You trying to kill me?"

Swelter looked over and could see his friend was smiling. "No, man, I'm just making your blood flow. Don't worry. I got it."

"Do me a favor and keep us from falling out of the sky." He released his grip on the handle and relaxed. "I see you're wearing an E-Squad shirt. Pretty cool. You think they actually have special powers?"

"Hell yeah, man. Why do you think I'm wearing the shirt?"

"I know they're out there somewhere, but the Ultra stuff... Just a cool myth if you ask me. They may have top-end tech, but I don't know about any super powers."

Swelter glanced out the window. Let me have another swig of that alcohol and you'll get a show. "I don't know, man, but you can bet they're out there. They're out there protecting your ass.

"Maybe... I've heard all the rumors and listened to all the so-called sightings, but I don't believe it unless I see it."

"Well keep your eyes open then amigo, you never know when you might run into one."

Swelter smiled. He couldn't tell his friend that he was, in fact, an Ultra, but it gave him satisfaction to know the secret. His true identity had to be kept a secret so the public wouldn't flood them with questions and requests. The boys in the office did a nice job keeping the team hidden. He found it fun playing an alter ego superhero type, even if the real work was down and dirty.

They swerved down and back into another lane, slowing enough to merge with traffic.

"What do you say we head over to Lorain? Hit up some slots; maybe check out the new Space Attack game... Find us some ladies?"

"Sounds good to me, you're driving. Hell, we can just cruise the strip in this baby. Chicks will flock to us." Santee grabbed the bottle of tequila. "Mind if I have a shot?"

"I insist!" We're celebrating tonight. I just finished a job I've been working on for months. It was a big one."

Santee wiped his mouth and winced as he swallowed. "Woo, good stuff. A big job huh? Well you must be pushing some big numbers. This car totally rules. Let's hit it, budday."

Swelter smiled and sat back into his plush seat. He had such a satisfying feeling as he cruised through the air in style. He felt important.

As he headed for the amusement central of the city, Swelter thought back to his younger days. Wonder what the old fellas would think of this car. Those thugs have no idea. He reached back and rubbed the raised tribal tattoo on his neck that stretched down and covered his back. Swelter was glad to be away from those jerks anyway. Nothing but trouble, those guys.

If he hadn't signed up for E-squad, he'd still be out there gangbanging, fighting for scraps of food and hiding from Ferals. This sure beats that way of life. They probably don't even know what happened to me. Probably think a Feral or something ate me after that last episode. No matter. Hopefully I'll never see the Gods of War again.

"Hey, Santee, what you say we find out what this thing can really do?"

His friend smiled. "Hit it, man!"

17 Harrison

Harrison chose to have dinner at a sports bar/restaurant called Jim's Place. He had been thinking about eating there for the last few months. The fast food places were all self-ordering, self-serving places; they all used holo-clerks to take orders and there was no interaction with humans. The sit-down restaurants had actual servers. Harrison preferred the human interaction, specifically with a pretty, young, vulnerable waitress.

Arriving at the restaurant somewhat late, he noticed that most of the patrons had eaten dinner already. He immediately spotted a blonde waitress that had some real potential. He approached the hostess and slipped a plastic bill into her hand.

"Can I be seated in that young lady's section, please?" He pointed to the pretty waitress. "I'm...an old friend."

"The hostess put the bill into her pocket and smiled. "Right this way, sir."

She led him to a table near the far side of the large holo-deck. Each table had its own smaller holo-vision with access to other events. He began navigating other choices until the waitress came up and introduced herself.

"Hello, sir; my name is Jillian. I will be your server this evening. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, please." He said, "I will have a Jack Royal on the rocks."

Harrison noticed her blue eyed, thin waist, and large breasts. Her high cheekbones and full lips made her very desirable. She'll do just fine.

The waitress left to get his drink and Harrison switched his personal table hologram over to a MMA fight that happened on the outside. He remembered seeing some of the highlights on his car ride home from work and wanted to watch the event for himself. Several minutes later the waitress returned with his drink. She placed it in front of him and smiled. "The hostess told me you were an old friend. Have we met?" she asked.

"No... I guess I'm busted," said Harrison beginning to spin his charming web. "I just thought you were the prettiest girl here and wanted to have a chance to meet you. My name is Harrison Timburk and I am very pleased to meet you."

The girl blushed slightly. "It's um...nice to meet you," she said looking slightly embarrassed. She quickly turned back to business. "So, have you decided on anything yet?"

With smooth confidence he asked, "Well, I had hoped you could help me with that. What would you recommend?"

"The Jimmy Double Decker is popular."

He smiled and looked directly into her eyes. "I'm sure it is, but what I want to know is what you like. You see, you look like someone who takes care of herself and doesn't just eat anything. Now what do you recommend?"

She giggled. "I like the grilled chicken wrap."

He concentrated on looking into her eyes, pushing his will upon her. "Perfect. I'll try it. And just so you know, I'll tell you if I agree with you or not," He could already see that she was playing along. After all, she wouldn't have much choice once he began to really persuade her.

After a few minutes, Jillian came back with his food. "OK, here we go. One grilled chicken wrap. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," he said as she placed the plate down in front of him. "So, how long have you worked here, Jillian?"

"For the past year. I'm just finishing school." She brushed a strand of blonde hair back behind her ear. "What is it that you do, Mr. Timburk?"

"Oh, I run a little company downtown. We provide security support to the Sky Canopy generator....But that's not important." he downplayed his role and placed his hand on the table so she could see his fancy watch. He focused on her eyes again. "The only thing that's important tonight...is you."

He could tell he was making headway. He watched her eyes dart down to the watch. I may not even need to use my powers on this one too much. But then again, I could use a little exercise with the old powers of persuasion. He smiled and winked at her as she walked away. Being an Ultra certainly has its advantages. He placed his napkin on his lap and picked up his grilled chicken wrap.

Several minutes later Jillian returned. "How is everything, Harrison." She stood closer to him than she had before.

He finished chewing and swallowed the bite in his mouth. "You've earned my trust, Jillian. Everything is wonderful." He stared into her eyes and focused. "With those beautiful blue eyes and such great taste, I think I'm going to need to get to know you a little better."

She began to walk away again. "You never know, you may just get the chance." She said over her shoulder.

After his meal was finished, Jillian returned to bring the check. She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I hope everything was OK."

"Everything was great except for one thing...You never told me what time you get off work."

She didn't hesitate. "I get off at eleven. If you want you can wait at the bar."

"I'll be counting the minute."

After several more drinks at the bar, Harrison was feeling rather buzzed. He looked toward the far end of the counter and did a double take. The man sitting across from him was the fighter guy, Jathen somebody from the outside. How the hell did he end up here, he thought. Does anyone else recognize this guy? I have to talk to this character.

Harrison stumbled over to the MMA combatant. "You're that guy from the outside, right? I watched your fight."

Jathen looked up at him, but didn't respond. Harrison could tell he was measuring him up. Probably thinks he could take me. "You know I spent some time on the outside. Kicked some ass myself."

"Did you now? Very proud of you," said Jathen staring back at him.

Harrison paused and leaned in close. "You think you're tough don't you? I watched that fight of yours. Who are you anyway?"

"Just a guy trying to enjoy the evening, friend. Good to know somebody recognized me."

I recognized you all right... badass, tough guy, fighter guy... At least you think you are. You're probably too young to have fought in the war. I bet you're from one of those outside gangs, hiding in your holes from the Ferals? Bet you don't mess with them." He leaned back and finished the drink in his hand. "I've had my own go with those monsters."

Jathen looked away. "I'm sure you have old timer. You can tell me about it some other time."

Harrison swayed back slightly. "Old timer? This old timer could kick your soft ass, Outsider."

Jathen kept looking forward. "I suggest you go back over to your end of the bar."

"I'll go wherever I want. You think you can stop me?" Harrison demanded.

Jathen motioned to the bartender. "Can I have the check please?"

The bartender approached. "All paid for. Mr. Liscone picked up the bill. Is there a problem here, gentlemen?"

"No problem," said Harrison. "These young kids just need to be set straight sometimes."

"Thanks for putting me in line," said Jathen as he got up from his chair. "You have a good night." He turned to leave.

"That's what I thought, keep walking." Harrison smiled triumphantly. I put that guy straight. Gave him a piece of my mind. It was fun to be confrontational; if the guy had turned aggressive, Harrison would have enjoyed manipulating him into making an ass of himself. Too bad this guy wasn't game.

He went back to his seat and focused his attention back to the pretty server. Her shift would be over soon, and then it was back to the penthouse.

He didn't have to put in much work. She came along willingly. He was feeling good and he couldn't wait to get her undressed.

He led her into his penthouse. No sooner had the door closed...Jillian pushed him against the wall, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stuck her tongue in his mouth.

This one is aggressive. My powers must be working well. He liked hot spontaneous sex, but Harrison was in no hurry tonight; he wanted to take his time with this one. He looked into her eyes and focused his powers. "Let's take it slow. I want to kiss every inch of your body."

He led her back to the master bedroom keeping his hand against the small of her back as they walked.

Standing near the king sized bed, he began kissing her on the left side of her neck. He ran his hands over her large, well-shaped breasts and could feel something hard through her blouse—that must be a pierced nipple, he thought. He wanted to tug on it with his teeth. He began to unbutton her blouse and she stopped him.

"If we're going to take it slow, can I have just a moment to freshen up?" she asked.

Harrison smiled. "No problem. The bathroom is right over there."

He decided that it might not be a bad idea to have one more nightcap. "I'm just going to run and make us a quick drink," he told her as she entered the bathroom.

Most of the penthouse was dark as he made his way back down the hall. As he walked into the kitchen he noticed something peculiar, the lights usually came up slowly to a dim glow, but this time nothing happened. He walked into the room a bit cautiously. That's strange, he thought. Something must be wrong with the system. He went over to the light setting on the wall and brought up the diagnostics.

"That won't be necessary, Mr. Timburk; the lights are the least of your problems tonight," said an unknown voice from the living-room area.

Harrison jumped. He turned around quickly to see who spoke. He scanned the dark area looking for the intruder. He readied himself for what might come next. At first, he didn't see anything, and then he noticed two soft, glowing blue eyes. He could just make out a shadow sitting on the couch facing him. The figure rose slowly and took a single step forward.

"I see you have company. I wasn't quite prepared for that. I guess we'll have to take care of that problem," said the soft voice.

Harrison quickly regained his composure and let his instincts take over. "I'll skip asking how you got in here, and instead ask what do you want with me?"

"A very simple answer—I have come to end your life. And I tell you this because there is nothing you can do to prevent it."

Harrison's heart began to beat a little bit quicker. He could feel the adrenaline kicking in, sobering him up fast. He looked back and considered running for the bedroom, but again, he steadied himself and decided to talk his way out of this problem.

He had made a living with his ability to negotiate and manipulate others into doing his bidding. "Let me first find out who you are and why you want me dead?"

"Let's just say that we have met before. I was unable to prevent you from the act that has brought me here tonight."

Harrison didn't like the response. He couldn't think of what he must have done to this man. "I don't even know who you are. What did I do, fuck your girlfriend or something? I'll be happy to compensate you for whatever pain I've caused you."

The shadow stood motionless. "You will be compensating me...with your life."

Harrison didn't like the sound of that. He concentrated harder. "Think about it. I have lots of money." He leaned forward focusing on the blue, glowing eyes. "I can make you rich."

The shadow was silent.

Harrison didn't understand, he had expected another response. How is he defying me? He tried another angle focusing with all his might. "You won't get away with this. Think about yourself and what options you may still have. I am a powerful man and I have connections. I can double whatever fee you're being paid."

The shadow stood in the dark, still silent.

"Someone must have sent you here, help me help you."

Finally the shadow spoke."I am not here for money, but... you will help me...with your death."

Harrison took a step back. "If you are successful in killing me, you will surely face death yourself. I am friendly with Walter Huff. I am sure you know who he is. When he finds out about my death, he will have you hunted down.

The voice laughed softly. "I have plans for Mr. Huff as well. It simply doesn't matter who else you know, because they can't help you here tonight. I know what you're trying to do. Your powers of persuasion won't work on me. I know everything there is to know about you: where you live, what you do, the gifts that you possess, the terrible things that you have done, the things that you have done to me. You ruined my life and turned me into what I have become. Tonight, I receive part of my vengeance."

"What did I do to you? Please enlighten me." Harrison asked.

The shadow's eyes glowed in the dimness. "It happened many years ago. I couldn't act too quickly, I had to wait until I was ready, and when that day came, I entered the city, and here I stand. Finally."

Harrison felt helpless. He stood and listened, trying to figure out whom this must be. His mind swirled as he tried to figure out a way out of the situation.

The shadow raised his glove-covered hand. "You have had great success in your business career; this place you have here is wonderful—if you enjoy this kind of lifestyle. You are a prototypical narcissist. You only care about personal growth. You pay no attention to your surroundings unless they benefit you."

Just then, Jillian came walking out into the kitchen. She seemed oblivious to the conversation and hadn't noticed the shadowy figure. She was wearing nothing but her panties as the low light danced off her slender form. "Harrison?" she called, standing in her best sexy pose near the entrance to the kitchen.

The shadow responded for him. "Tell her to go, and be quick about it. I have waited long enough for this."

"Is there someone else here?" asked Jillian throwing her arms across her chest to cover her nakedness. She then noticed the shadowy intruder and gasped. "Oh my god, what is going on here?"

"I think we will have to be cutting our evening short tonight, sweetie. You may want to get out of here quickly," Harrison told her.

She didn't waste a moment and ran straight for the door. She left undressed and hurried toward the stairwell. Harrison was left alone with his adversary. He kept his gaze firmly planted on those glowing blue eyes.

The voice continued. "You have done terrible things in this life, things that have brought me here to you tonight. What I want to know, as I finally stand face to face with you after all these years is.... do you understand what you are, and do you realize that the actions you have taken have had great consequences, both personal and universal? Tell me, Mr. Timburk, do you feel any remorse for the things that you have done?"

"Do I feel any remorse?" asked Harrison in a sarcastic manner. The question being as simple as it was, hit relatively deep to a man that only cared about himself and his image. Timburk had done things in his past that always seemed to haunt him. The question had neutralized his powers of persuasion and had him rattled. "I don't feel any remorse for anything, because I haven't done anything wrong. You're the one that should be remorseful, for breaking into my goddamn home."

Smooth talk was out, but his military training and the brief conversation had given him enough time to formulate another simple plan.

The intruder stepped forward into the light, revealing a man dressed in black armor, or rather a modified version of a ninja suit. Harrison knew from his time in the military that it appeared to be made of form-fitting material possibly carbon fiber with armored reinforcements. Light, yet enforced in the right areas. There appeared to be energy running through the suit with the occasional glimpse of some dark blue light. On his head, the intruder wore a heavy dark hood and a smooth, dark silvery faceplate that fit the contours of his face, covering it completely. With shiny, basic facial features, the softly glowing blue eyes served as the focal point.

The dark ninja removed both his hood and mask and let Harrison see his face in the light. "I know the answer, Harrison. I just want you to admit what a horrible person you are."

Harrison looked at him for a moment, and then it dawned on him who this man must be. The kid? He survived and grew up. It was slightly shocking after all this time. There was silence for a moment and time seemed to stop. The pause lasted several seconds, yet it seemed like an eternity. Then Harrison spoke, softly. "Now I know who you are. And yeah, I've done some bad things. I guess to you, I look pretty terrible." Then somewhat louder he continued. "But, you know what? I don't give a fuck! The one thing that I know, take what you can, when you can. That's how I've gotten where I am. Is that what you want to hear? What does it make you if you kill me?"

"I am human like you, and we are terrible things. We are a disease both to ourselves and to the earth. Ironically, I plan to be somewhat of a cure to that disease starting tonight with you." The dark ninja took a step to the left. "Your first answer was somewhat unclear to me. I would assume, from what you just said, that you do feel some remorse for your actions, but not enough. So, the next question has to do with the afterlife." The room was very still. The tension could almost be touched. "When your life ends here tonight, what do you believe will happen to you?"

Harrison did not answer.

The dark ninja continued. "Do you believe in heaven? Do you think you will be punished and sent to hell?"

Harrison was rattled. His extraordinary powers of manipulation and persuasion had been nullified. Yet he was a determined man and he was not going to just lie down and die. He planned to fight and win. "I don't believe in any of that shit. You want to know what happens when you die? Nothing! There is nothing. Blackness. You no longer exist. But I will still be here and you will be dead. This isn't the first time someone has threatened my life. I've been through more than you can imagine. I should have finished you way back!"

The dark ninja drew what looked like a sword, a katana, only this one was different. It began to crackle with energy. The cutting edge of the sword lit up with electrical energy and it looked like a lightning bolt attached to a handle. He quickly jumped over the couch and laded softly in front of Harrison.

Harrison had expected a gun or something similar, not a sword, though his plan would still work.

He quickly grabbed a metal piece of artwork shaped like a simple square. The heavy piece of art was a perfect shield. He would block the first blow, bull rush his attacker, knock him back over the couch, and use the metal to smash the intruder's face in.

"Thank you for answering. And now it is time for you to enter the darkness you speak of. Prepare yourself."

Holding the sword laterally to his right the dark ninja began to advance. The katana crackled with blue electricity as he stood in a fighting stance. Harrison waited as he watched the glowing blade rise into the air. "Come on. Do it!"

In a quick sudden movement, the sword arced downward, right at the metal shield. It contacted the would-be shield in a shower of sparks, but to Harrison's dismay the electrical blade cut through the shield and severed his arm. The dark ninja brought the blade back around and Harrison saw the blur of motion heading toward his neck. He felt a jolt as the edge of the blade bit into his skin—

18 Dark Ninja

The dark ninja stood looking down at the fallen body and the severed head. "It starts," he whispered.

He had finished what he came for and it was time to exit.

He turned toward the window and extended both his arms parallel to the ground with one arm facing the window. Two beams of light shot out from flashlight-sized apparatus attached to his forearms. One beam hit the wall behind him and the other shined out through the window.

Suddenly, he disappeared from the spot where he was standing and reappeared several feet out the window in the air. He started to fall downward and like an acrobat, turned his body in the air so the beam of light pointed toward the ground. With a flash, he was standing on the sidewalk below.

Sky Canopy displayed a bright star-filled night. He needed to get away unseen. The alley facing the water provided the most cover of darkness. It was a perfect spot for the dark man to escape. It was also a perfect spot for other things to happen out of sight.

In the shadows of the building, held against the wall, was the young girl Jillian. He could barely see her slender naked form as three shapes moved in front of her. Her nose was bleeding and she looked nearly unconscious. Three men held her against her will, they had her pinned. Two men held her arms against the wall as a third began to unzip his pants. The girl from upstairs...Harrison's girl. She was about to be raped.

This act struck a nerve with the dark ninja. He swiftly took out his lightning blade and in a blur of motion dove toward the men. His arms moved in practiced motions, rising and falling with grace in chained attacks. The three predators had no chance to fight back. When he was done, there was a bloody mess of severed arms, legs and heads.

He looked at the broken girl for a moment longer. She'll live, he thought. I still have much to do. Then he disappeared from the scene.

19 Vander

"Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the AOCC Council, we would like to welcome Representative Vander Lee," said George McCarthy in a political voice. "Vander is the current Outside Representative and he joins us from Columbus. Vander, we hope your journey and your stay has been pleasant. Please have a seat."

Vander felt calm as he moved toward his seat. He didn't expect that the council would react warmly to what he was about to present. The problems he was about to lay before them was in direct correlation with Cleveland itself. He was about to point a political finger.

The relatively small, cramped space of the council room sat on the top floor of the AOCC tower. The building was the tallest in the city, reaching nearly all the way to the Sky Canopy ceiling. The nine council members gathered around a large circular table with a single pitcher of liquid in the center. Ten glasses surrounded the pitcher and reflected the sterile white room. Several portraits of previous council members lined the walls breaking up the monotonous tone.

The nine council members took their seats and the walls began to shift. Replacing the bland, white setting with a digital depiction of an ancient Greek rotunda, complete with white pillars laced in gold, the scene faded into view and surrounded them. A spectacular vista of mountains appeared beyond the pillars, making Vander feel as if he were on Mt. Olympus, acting the part of a god. He assumed that the egos in the room didn't stray too far from the fictional setting.

Vander looked around at all the tired faces in the room, none of them currently interested in him. He had done his homework and could guess by their appearances as to who two of the councilmen were. Sitting directly across the table, was the head of the council, Ronaldo Huff. Ronaldo was a tall, lean figure with a full head of black hair and large broad shoulders. He had deeply inset dark eyes with a smooth clean-shaven face. He wore a two-piece black suit, with a white shirt and dark-green tie. He didn't show much resemblance to his father, who sat to the left of him.

Walter Huff, the previous high chair and the man responsible for bringing Sky Canopy to life, sat squeezed into the relatively tiny chair, taking in long deep breaths as he labored to get oxygen into his large, obese body. His health was not good and his excessive weight only pushed him closer to the grave. His attire was less formal than his son's. He wore a light gray jacket over a peach-colored button-up shirt with no tie.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Lee," said Ronaldo. "I would like to introduce the AOCC council. My name is Ronaldo Huff, to my left is my Father, Walter Huff, following clockwise is George McCarthy, Leslie Chapman and Jenaveve Sanders. Then to your left: Arthur Stoneman, Selena Sully, Jeff Pitman and Tran Charles. We plan to do our best to help you and the Outside population to the best of our abilities.

"Thank you, Ronaldo. I am honored to be here," said Vander in a confident voice. "As the Representative of the outside world, I speak on behalf of all the people living outside these walls. We would first like to thank you in advance for any help you can give us. We would surely be much worse off without the help of the city. Just the fact that you allow us to visit and share our problems, is most gracious. So again, thank you."

Vander took a moment to gather himself. "I hope that you will forgive me for being rather forward, but the issues that confront us need direct attention. I would prefer to forgo the small talk and get right to the point.

"As you all know, we are having considerable trouble on the outside, more so than usual." His eyes met Walter Huff's. "We would like to ask for your help with the usual shipment of food and medical supplies, but we also need to discuss the larger problem at hand, and that is the slow death of the Outside population."

His audience was silent with all eyes locked on him as he continued. "We have been experiencing a long drought. Nothing is growing, and I mean nothing. This is what commonly happens in the midst of a drought, but this has gone on much longer than usual, and it continues to worsen. If any one of you were to step outside this city's walls, you would immediately notice the large amount of barren wasteland. For miles and miles, nothing grows or lives. I'm under the impression that you are aware of this Dead Zone. It has been growing for many years and it now threatens to engulf Columbus and the other small towns outside of Cleveland."

Vander clasped his hands in front of him on the table. "Aside from the apparent effects of the Dead Zone, our people have become lethargic and lazy. There is a growing lack of energy—more people are missing work every day. If someone gets sick, they have a hard time recovering. Our Border Patrol has become a real concern. Their numbers are dwindling and we need troops to hold the borders. We fear that our towns will soon fall to the Ferals. We are dying a slow death on the outside and we need your help, and hopefully some answers."

Ronaldo sat with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "We are all very aware of the Dead Zone and the issues that have come with it. Unfortunately, it is the price we must pay for the protection that Sky Canopy provides." He shifted his position casually and extended his arms onto the table to match Vander. "You can be assured that we have done studies on the Dead Zone. We have found no indication that it affects humans—"

"Yes, we know of the studies, but if there is no threat to humans, then please explain what is happening to us on the outside."

"We don't have a definitive answer at this time, but I can assure you that we have our top scientists working to find a solution. The problem is not being neglected and we will find a solution. In the meantime, we will obviously do our best to provide what support we can. We can provide food and water, but we can't change the weather. We can't do anything about a drought. Unfortunately, those that came before us left the planet in worse shape than they received it."

Ronaldo straightened his posture. "As for the people's lack of energy, what you speak of is not just affecting the outside population, there have been reports of issues such as these on the inside as well. Still, we don't believe the Dead Zone has any relation to these problems."

Vander shook his head. "I respectfully disagree. We believe that whatever is causing the expansion of the Dead Zone is now affecting people."

Walter had been sitting quietly listening, he suddenly slapped his hand on the table. "The AOCC doesn't guess on problems like this. We only work with hard facts. Do you have any kind of evidence to back up this statement, Mr. Lee? Is there a scientist on the outside that can provide some proof?"

Vander stayed perfectly calm. "From our point of view, it looks fairly obvious."

"Maybe so, but we are not in the game of guessing. If it was that simple, we would already have a solution."

Vander conceded. "I understand your position, but that's beside the point, either way the problem exists. Even if the city is experiencing some of the same issues, you are not at risk of a Feral invasion nor starving to death from lack of food. I'm sure the ratio of problems on the inside is considerably smaller than on the outside."

"With all due respect, Mr. Lee, I don't see you suffering from any problems—and you just so happen to live on the outside."

Vander took a deep breath. "Obviously the problem does not affect each person the same way. Some of us are perfectly fine, while others can barely get out of bed. Still, the number affected grows every day. I could be next."

A woman toward the middle of the table spoke up, "Mr. Lee, my name is Jenaveve Sanders, and I am the liaison for the council regarding Sky Canopy. I can assure you that our scientists are working very hard to determine the cause of this problem. In fact they believe it is a new form of disease. In these hard times, we should all be accustomed to new threats. With the emergence of the Ferals, we have grown to accept new forms of threats to the human race. We are looking into this new problem, but the Ferals remain our first and foremost concern.

"Yes, of course, Mrs. Sanders, but what happens when everyone on the outside falls to...whatever you want to call this new problem, and the Ferals invade our towns and wipe out your so-called border."

A short stubby man with a closely cropped beard spoke next. "As I understand, the Ferals won't enter the Dead Zone, they stay well behind the border where they belong."

"Not entirely true, my friend. There is a small town on the Far East side that has been wiped out by a recent Feral invasion. This town falls entirely within the Dead Zone. The Ferals entered and devoured everyone in the town."

"I have not heard any news about this," Ronaldo said, sounding skeptical.

"It is true," said Arthur Stoneman. "My contacts on the outside have confirmed a recent fallen town. It was called Meadville. The Border Patrol was taken easily and no survivors were found. The Ferals attacked, killed everyone in the city, then retreated behind the border. So, whatever the cause of this disease, it is a problem that needs to be dealt with."

Gasps and murmurs followed Stoneman's statement.

Vander was surprised to have someone from the council give him backup. He watched as Walter shot the man a dirty look before he spoke. "Our apologies, Mr. Lee, we did not know that this terrible event had taken place. We of course want to make sure that the border stays solid. If Mr. Stoneman here had done his job, he would have let us in on this important information."

Stoneman fidgeted in his chair as Walter chastised him. He started to object, but Walter held up his hand. "You have my word that we will take action and send troops to fill the void. If it were possible, we would bring everyone on the outside in here with us. Inside the city, I mean. But as you know we are already way over populated. The city is filled more than it should be, and even though we have total faith in the ability of Sky Canopy to hold the Ferals at bay, we want our borders held strong. We must keep as much real estate on the civilized side as possible."

Ronaldo had looked down at the table. Vander assumed he didn't enjoy his father pushing his way back in charge. He was sure that was an ongoing conflict. He figured it best to leave it alone and address the man that gave him some answers.

He nodded in response to Walter's promise. "Glad we agree on something. But that still doesn't solve the problems of our people getting sick and exhausted." He looked in the direction that he heard the woman speak. "Mrs. Sanders is it? Do your scientists have any idea how to cure this disease? If in fact that is what it is."

"They are running tests as we speak."

"So there is nothing you can do for us?" asked a disappointed Vander Lee.

"At this time that is all I have. I'm sorry I don't have any better answers," she said.

Ronaldo stood up just then, before his father could say anything else. "I think we have heard enough, we don't need to beat a dead horse. Mr. Lee we will look over all your requests in the next several days. As you know it is customary for the council to have a day to discuss the issues you have brought up. In two days we will give you our assessment on what we can do for you and the people on the outside. Do you have the full request list?"

Vander again nodded in response. He had made his point and his tone was gracious. "Yes, of course. The list is longer than usual, due to reasons I discussed earlier." He pushed a button and holograms appeared in front of all the council members. He went down the list of the usual supplies and noted a few specifics. He pointed out the addition of extra medical supplies, food, clothing and soldiers.

"As you can see we are in need of more help than usual. I hope you will consider our predicament when you make a ruling. I only covered the general request as customary. The document in front of you contains all the details and specifics we have collected for you. Please go over them carefully."

Ronaldo scrolled through the document with a swipe of his hand. "We will do just that. In the mean time, I hope you get a chance to take in our city. I would especially like you to see the Sky Canopy generator for yourself. I have scheduled a tour for you this afternoon. Please accept our hospitality and enjoy yourself for the next couple of days."

"Thank you, I will," said Vander as he stood and bowed deeply.

Ronaldo made a gesture for everyone else to stand. Even Walter stood with some effort. They all proceeded to give their bows and handshakes before they departed from the room. Vander wondered if the Council had any intention of actually doing anything about the Dead Zone, after all, they were safe inside their protective shell. What did they care?

20 Snow

She rolled over and stretched her arms, focusing her thoughts inward. The process was like second nature; from the center of her chest, she could feel the temperature begin to rise throughout her body. It was much more beneficial to sleep while her body was in a cooler state. She watched her arms as the pale-blue color began to slowly turn pink. She let the temperature of her body rise slowly; it was less of a shock to her system.

She had a nice uneventful evening the night before. For once, she was able to let herself unwind and relax. She enjoyed a wonderful meal with George and some long overdue quiet time. They had ended the evening at George's apartment, but she wasn't quite ready to stay the night. Coming back home to her own bed always seemed more comfortable.

"Good morning, Snow."

"Morning, Snowflake. Can you get some coffee going for me?"

"It is brewing as we speak."

"Thank you. Is there any news to report, you know, anything important?"

"More of the same, nothing out of the ordinary. Would you like me to be more specific?"

"No, that's all right. I think I'm just going to jump in the cleaner real quick before I have my coffee."

She looked down at a picture on her nightstand of her younger self sitting on her mother's lap. The picture seemed like it was from a different life. How happy they both seemed in the photo, her mother and herself. The little girl with the dark hair and the pink hairclip had vanished. Snow had gone from a shy little girl to a crime fighting super hero.

She had spent her whole life under the protection of Sky Canopy and knew very little of the outside world. The early part of her life was spent with her mother—a hard working single mom, who made her living working in a restaurant. They had lived on the far-east side of town, in a single room apartment. She knew the slums better than she cared to.

Snow didn't know why she kept the image in the frame; maybe just to remind her where she came from. She lifted the picture, wiped a light film of dust off and set it back down. She slipped out of her thin nightgown and headed into the bathroom.

As the light ring cleansed her body, she thought back to the day that changed her life. Just a little girl, she had been playing at her mother's restaurant. Looking to explore, she managed to get herself trapped in the kitchen freezer. Hours passed until they finally found her. She should have been frozen stiff, but she was alive and well—healthier than ever. Her mother had obviously heard the rumors about the existence of special people, Ultras. She must have had dollar signs in her head.

The cleaning cycle ended, and she stepped out of the shower. Reaching for the hair-shaping module attached to the wall, she pulled it free and placed the silvery, dome-shaped end over her head. She had no use for any of the multiple choices of hair-dos available. She pressed the familiar button that changed her bed-head into her trademark spiked hair look. She remembered how her mother spent hours playing with hair and makeup.

She remembered how her mother had toiled over which lipstick color to wear the day she took Snow to the scientists at the military base. They ran tests on her, many tests. She didn't like to think of all the needles and machines that were used on her, but after much pain, she was found to be an Ultra. Her mom was offered a nice price to have her placed into a special program. It paid well and her mother got what she wanted.

She looked into the mirror at her ice blue eyes. She had her mother's eyes, the same penetrating, light blue color that used to give her such comfort, so many years ago.

Snow resented her mother for sending her away and their relationship had deteriorated. To this day, they no longer spoke. After she got over the fact that her mother basically sold her to the scientists, she conceded to the program and lost herself within it. She was very smart and flourished in the academics and athletics of the program. She let herself become consumed with her studies and physical training. She never fought the system, somehow it felt right.

Sent away at age eleven, and introduced as the second member of E-Squad at age twenty-three, she had become a completely different person. Now at age twenty-seven she had a boyfriend in a high place and a job like no other. She had come a long way from her early days in the slums as the shy little girl. Now her name was Snow, a legend whispered about throughout the city. She was a ghost, feared among criminals.

She got dressed and headed toward the kitchen to get her coffee and start her day. Just before she entered the kitchen she stopped and retraced her steps. She waved her hand in front of a small, indented, square shape in the wall and an opening appeared. A white blur shot out of the opening and zoomed into the air. Snow ducked and laughed as she watched a miniature, silvery-white dragon buzz around the tiny apartment. About a foot long, with a wingspan to match, it shimmered as it swooped back and forth. After several laps around the room, it landed softly on her shoulder.

She listened to buzzes and clicks as the mechanical beast's artificial intelligence operated at a quick pace.

"Good morning, Blizzard. I thought it would be a nice time for you to stretch your wings. Would you please join me for breakfast?"

The creature shot off her shoulder and landed on the table. It flexed its wings as it waited for her. She grabbed her coffee and sat down, running her finger over his smooth, leathery head.

"What do you think, Blizzard, scrambled eggs or French toast?"

The small mechanical dragon answered by jumping into the air and circling around her head.

She giggled as he landed back in the same spot. "Guess that means scrambled eggs, because my brain is going to get scrambled if you keep that up."

She typed the order into the digi-pad on the wall and waited for her food. She sipped her coffee and watched her tiny pet. "Guess you won't have to listen to me complain about Drake anymore, huh? We got that rat. But don't worry, little fella, I'm sure I'll have something else to vent about." She heard the double beep signaling that her breakfast was ready. She removed the meal from the fast-delivery-food-oven, grabbed a fork and dug in.

She had just finished her scrambled eggs and swallowed the last sip of coffee when she received a holo-message that shot up in front of her face: Snow, please report to duty, on the double. She scanned through the rest of the message and sat back in her chair. There had been a murder and E-squad was needed at the scene in Avon. Snow was curious as to why they were summoning E-squad to a simple murder site. That was not their type of work. This was an interesting one.

At least it was on the opposite side of the city, the nice part. A little fresh air—if you want to call it that—never hurt.

"Time for me to get back to work buddy," she told the White dragon, and the creature flew back into the wall.

21 Jathen

He stepped into the bustling lobby of his hotel, dodged a group of children as they ran past him, and headed for the concierge. Jathen had been scheduled to take a few tours around the city, but he thought it was time to find out a little more about E-Squad. He needed to see who and what they were for himself. He needed to see if they could help him gain a permanent residency here in the city.

He wasn't quite sure where to start. It couldn't be too hard to find these guys; they seemed to be a big topic of conversation. He approached the small, bald man behind the desk.

"Excuse me, sir." He said to the man behind the counter. "I'm trying to get in touch with E-Squad. Would you happen to know where I could find their headquarters?"

The man looked up from a holo-computer with a look of bewilderment. "No one has ever asked me that before. It's not very often that I get surprised. Congratulations." He smiled. "So, what do you want to find them for? Are you some kind of criminal or something?" The man's eyes opened wide. "Or are you an Ultra?"

"Just curious, I guess," Jathen said with a somewhat snippy undertone.

"Okay... That's your business..." He looked back at the holo-computer. "Unfortunately, I can't help you. The location of their headquarters is not public. I'm sure they don't want some mafia-gunman trying to attack their home base. They keep it a secret. Your guess is as good as mine."

Jathen squinted his eyes. "Well...where would you suggest I try to find them?"

"Hmm... I've never really put much thought into it before, but I guess I would start over on the east side—in the slums. That seems to be where they spend most of their time. At least that's what I see in the news." He waved his hands through the air and made a few pointing gestures in the air, then reached down below his desk. "Here, take this." He handed Jathen a thin plastic card with glowing text in the middle. It read:

Grilt  
439 S. Ridge Road.  
Euclid

The man pointed at the address. "It's not much of a restaurant, but I think it is relatively safe. You can talk to the gal that runs the place, Sherry. She usually has some idea of what's going on around town." His fingers danced once more on his holo-computer. "I arranged for a round trip ticket on the inner-city magna rail. Use that same card with the address for boarding."

Jathen stuffed the card into the front pocket of his shorts. "Thanks, man. Appreciate the assistance."

"Not a problem," the clerk said in a smug tone. "That's what I'm here for."

As he stepped out from the shadows of the building, the bright blue colors from Sky Canopy reflected off the shiny vehicles causing him to squint his eyes. He let his eyes adjust before starting toward the train station. He had seen the building earlier and he figured it wouldn't be too hard to find it again. Besides, he hadn't had a chance to get out on the streets much yet anyway.

He walked down the crowded sidewalk weaving his way in and out of the people. He found it difficult to move in a straight line.

Jathen had been racking his brain trying to think of a way to gain full citizenship in Cleveland. They hadn't let a single outsider take up full residency in over two years. It was going to take something special. _I got to find these E-Squad people. I bet they have the power to get me a permanent residency here in the city._

He found his destination just a few blocks away. As he entered the building he almost wondered if he was being silly searching this hard to gain citizenship. Was it really that important to him... Yeah, it was. While he was part of the Chain Guard out west he had learned it was good to have goals. Having something to work towards in life kept him going. He was going to find a way to live in this city one way or another.

The train station felt similar to the one he arrived on. He used his plastic card at the turnstile and boarded a waiting train.

Jathen didn't see many seats near the front of the train-car so he decided to head to the back. Several men stood in the middle of the car blocking his way. "Excuse me," he said to the first man with a tall blue mo-hawk. The guy looked over his shoulder and said. "Go fuck yourself."

Jathen bit his tongue and turned without saying anything. He didn't need any trouble. He found a single seat at the very front and sat down next to a mother holding a small child on her lap with and a young boy sitting next to her. The younger kid had some kind of sticky-looking syrup smeared around his mouth. Jathen smiled and said hello, but the woman and the kid paid no attention and looked the other way. _I guess people aren't so friendly on the inside. Maybe they should spend some time out with the Ferals. That would give them a little lift in their mood._

After a rather short ride he arrived at his destination in the slums. He walked out from the train station and was hit by a wall of pungent musty smells. _Wow, they aren't kiddin' this place is a wreck._ The slums looked vastly different than the pristine place he had come from. Garbage littered the streets and sidewalks making the visuals match the smells. He could see a network of shanty structures on tops of buildings and built into a mountain-like hill in the background. People were everywhere, walking the streets, and standing around loitering. Some sat on curbs, some slept against buildings. Everyone looked shady. The kind of guys on the train seemed to be the norm around these parts. He could feel eyes watching him as he headed for the Grilt restaurant. Conveniently, the restaurant was only a short walk away from the station.

He opened the door to the establishment and immediately felt like he was going to need a bath to remove the greasy stench that engulfed him, although it was an improvement from out on the street. The restaurant was small and cozy with several tables and booths and a counter in front of the kitchen. The lights were dim to hide the coating of grime that covered everything. Several people sat at the wooden tables eating a late breakfast.

He approached the counter and sat down. An old man sat at the far end of the counter staring off into space holding a coffee cup between his hands. A younger man sat a few seats down from Jathen not hiding the fact that he was watching. Jathen noticed the younger man had a plate in front of him with the remnants of some scrambled eggs. Jathen nodded to the man before taking a seat.

"What can I get for you?" asked the lady behind the counter as she slapped a dirty rag down and wiped off the spot in front of Jathen. She seemed a little rough around the edges and the years had not been kind to her appearance, but she immediately seemed approachable. She wore a stained yellow apron and her gray hair was pulled back and tucked into a hair net.

"Would you happen to be Sherry?" asked Jathen.

"In the flesh, pal. Who's asking?"

"My name is Jathen Fields. I have... I guess, a rather unusual question to ask you."

"Well, you can ask me all the questions you want, but if you're going to sit at my counter, you're going to order some food."

"Fair enough," said Jathen as he picked up a cracked, digital menu.

"We're having a special today. Pigs-in-a-blanket with a side of eggs and taters. You'll love 'em," Sherry said with her hands on her hips.

Jathen glanced at the menu for another second then glanced over at the empty plate of the man sitting a couple chairs down. "Is that what you had?" he asked the man.

"Sure is. Good stuff," The man snorted.

"The special sounds good." Jathen told Sherry.

"Come 'n right up," Sherry said as she turned toward the cooking surface and grabbed two eggs.

Jathen watched her begin to cook the eggs. He looked over at the younger man, his long, greasy, black hair dangled just inches from the counter as he leaned forward staring back at Jathen. The thin, young man smiled and nodded as he watched. Jathen smiled and turned back to watch the cook. After several minutes she slid the eggs onto a white plate and scooped some taters out of a bin being warmed by an overhead light. He didn't know where the pig-in-a-blanket came from, but the meal was placed in front of him quicker than he had expected.

The eggs were bland and the taters tasted old, but the pig-in-a-blanket made him hesitate. He picked one up and smelled it, something seemed strange; it gave off a sour odor.

The young man watched him intently and Sherry stood across the counter. _I think I would rather go find something to eat in the woods. Guess I better try it, if I plan to get any answers._ He bit into the spongy object, chewed and swallowed. "Everything tastes great," he said as he shoveled some more eggs into his mouth. "So do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Sherry shrugged her shoulder. "Guess not. Ask away."

Jathen swallowed another bite of the foul tasting pigs-in-a-blanket and washed it down with a bit of water from the dirty glass that had been given to him. "I just so happen to be looking for E-Squad. Would you have any idea where I can find them or their headquarters?"

Sherry laughed. "That's a funny joke. Did Stewart put you up to this?"

"I don't know who Stewart is?" said Jathen dead serious.

Sherry looked off into the corner of the room. "They were in here once you know. Back a few years ago. Busted some punk for something. Had a little bit of a brawl, but didn't make too big a mess. That big one sure was something. I'd like to see what's going on under that armor of his."

"I'm sure you do, but can you tell me how I can get in touch with them? I was told you might be able to help me."

"It's not that simple. Getting in touch with E-Squad isn't like scanning for a pizza. They are the ones that come for you." She pointed her finger at him. "You don't look like some kind of trouble maker, and if you are, you sure wouldn't want to see them—"

The young kid had moved a seat closer. "You're him aren't ya?"

Jathen looked at him quizzically.

"You're that guy from the outside. The fighter. I watched your fight." He looked at Sherry and smiled. "I bet he wants to join the team. He must be an Ultra."

"Shut up, Ramsey," said Sherry. "Who asked you anyways? Get on out of here before I slap you upside-the-head."

"Hold on...maybe I do want to join them. But first, I need to find them," said Jathen.

The old man at the end of the bar dropped his coffee cup onto the counter with a loud bang.

"If you break those, you have to pay for it," Sherry shouted. She turned back to Jathen. "Look kid, I'd like to help ya, but I don't really know. They say their home base is a secret. Unless you rob a bank or commit some kind of crime, I don't think finding them will be very easy." She put her finger on her chin. "I'll tell you what... There's a bar down the road that specializes in scumbags. If anyone has seen them lately or might see them in the near future...it will be some of them. If you cough up enough cash, maybe one of them can even help. Bigmouth Ramsey here can show you where it is. " She grabbed Ramsey's arm. "Take him down to Vagabonds. I'm sure one of those losers down there have tangled with E-Squad once or twice."

"Thanks, Sherry," said Jathen. He slapped down a credit card to pay for his food. "I appreciate it."

Jathen followed Ramsey toward the Vagabond Bar. As they walked he felt a slight gurgle in his stomach, but he ignored it and kept going. They turned down an alley and headed toward one of the hills in the background.

"You're a big-time fighter, huh?" asked Ramsey. "You been to AG Fighting?"

"Just so happens that I have."

"What they do, sign you up?" Ramsey stepped over a spilled garbage can.

"Maybe..." Jathen looked back to make sure no one was following them. He felt a little out of place back in the dark alleyway. He didn't feel threatened by Ramsey, but he certainly didn't trust him much either.

"Can't wait to see you fight again. I hope you sign on with them. I love to watch fights."

"Why don't you try it yourself?"

"Who me? No way. I just like to watch. I'm a lover not a fighter. I make my way with the ladies." He smiled and Jathen noticed a missing tooth. _I'm sure you get all kinds_ , thought Jathen.

They turned a corner into a street before ducking into yet another alley.

Ramsey skipped around a parked egg-shaped car. "Say, you come from outside. You ever have to fight any Ferals?"

"You ask a lot of questions, my friend." Jathen felt another small twinge in his gut. "Yes, I have fought the Ferals, and no, I don't want to talk about it. How much further is this place?"

"Just right up here. I know you're a tough-guy fighter and all, but these guys in here are badass too. You may want to be careful. I'm not going any closer. You're on your own." He pointed to a sheet-metal open-air shack built into the side of the landfill. "That's it. See the sign, the flickering purple one? Right over there."

Jathen looked ahead and could see several men standing around.

"Good luck fighter guy. Say what's your name anyway?"

"Name's Fields, Ramsey. Thanks for your help."

Jathen headed toward the Vagabond. As he got closer, he noticed the bar itself was little more than a piece of metal lying across two steel sawhorses. A collection of bottles and a dim overhead light sat just behind the bar.

Four men stood by the bar with their backs to Jathen. He could hear them laughing and talking as he got closer. The bar tender sat in a rocking chair behind the bar listening to the other four. _Man, I don't know how this is going to get me anywhere. But, I guess it's worth a shot._

"Excuse me, fellas," said Jathen. "I was sent down here by Sherry from the Grilt restaurant. She told me you might be able to help me."

The bar tender stood up and the other four men turned around slowly. No one said a word, but Jathen could feel them all sizing him up.

"Okay... I didn't mean to interrupt, I'll get right to the point. This might sound kind of strange, but I'm trying to get in touch with E-Squad? Any idea how to do that?"

They all just stared at him. A man in a black leather tank-top stepped forward. "Are you fucking kidding, man?" he looked at his buddies. "Who does this guy think he is? I outta smash a bottle over your head just for saying that word. Those freaks busted a buddy of mine the other night."

"Sorry to hear that, friend." _I'll have to remember these guys if I ever get to be a part of that team._ "I'm not looking for any trouble, like I said, Sherry told me you could help."

A guy wearing a white t-shirt with a digital image of a Feral spoke up. "Hold on a second guys." He spread his arms out to make them back up. "First off, we're not your friends. Second, we don't give anything away for free, but if you're pay 'n, we might have something for you."

Jathen reached into his pocket and grabbed his credit card. He walked to the bar and placed it face down. "How much you need?" He felt his stomach cramp again. _Damn crap food._

"Take a hundred credits off his card and put it on mine, Tarly."

The bar tender punched a code into a holo-register. He scanned Jathen's card, and then scanned the man's with the Feral t-shirt. "Done," said Tarly.

The man with the Feral t-shirt smiled. "Nice. Now we can talk. You want to know where E-Squad is? I'll tell you where they are... They're off fucking your mother."

Jathen half expected that answer. He gave a little chuckle and took a couple steps backward so that he stood outside the bar area. He glanced around to see who was watching. No one seemed to be paying attention.

"You know... That just doesn't seem to fit," said Jathen.

"Oh? How so?" asked the man with the t-shirt. He stepped toward Jathen in a confrontational manner.

"I don't know how all of E-Squad could be doing that with my mom, plus, she's been dead for quite some time. So now that you've taken my money, I expect an answer."

"The money? That was just aggravation fee. And if you want anymore answers, you're going to have to give us some more credits."

Jathen stepped toward the t-shirt wearing man. "Well, here's my next question. Do you have any idea what that creature on your shirt does to people?"

"It tears people up, just like I'm about to do to you." The man reached behind his back and whipped out a gun, pointing it just inches from Jathen's face.

Jathen smiled. In one quick, fluid motion he moved his head out of the gun's path, swung his arm up and hit the man in the wrist with the side of his hand. The gun flew into the air.

Jathen reached out, snatched the falling weapon with one hand, and grabbed the man's throat with the other. "I've fought those things on your shirt, and they are a lot more dangerous than some punk like you."

Jathen lifted the man into the air and threw him back and over the bar. He landed in the assortment of alcohol bottles with a crash.

Jathen pointed the gun at the others. "Anyone else?"

The other men stood there motionless. "What? No more big-mouth talk?" Jathen flinched forward like he was going to shoot. "Which one of you is going to tell me how to find E-Squad headquarters?" He moved a step toward one of the men with the gun pointed at him.

The man covered his face and began to speak nervously. "At one point a cousin of mine tried to get back at them. Dug down deep trying to find their base of operations so he and his boys could blow them up or something. Furthest he got was finding the building downtown. It had hyper security and he never got close. I honestly couldn't tell you which building it was, but you won't find them that way. Your best bet is to start selling drugs or identities. Eventually they'll find you." He peered out from behind his hands. "And when they do... I hope they bust your bitch-ass."

Jathen smiled. "You can keep the credits, go buy yourself some real clothes you bunch of losers."

He turned and walked back toward the alley. Peering back over his shoulder every few steps to make sure the other men were not following him. Once out of view, he tossed the gun into an overflowing garbage bin.

He felt his stomach cramp up again, this time it was actually starting to hurt a little. _I've got to find a bathroom or something._

He hurried back the way he came, remembering the path. The further he got the more intense the cramping became.

Soon, he found his way back to the train station where he remembered seeing a public bathroom. As a wave of cramps came over him, he hurried into the restroom and opened the first stall. Brown water brimmed the toilet with a puddle of sludge on the floor. _Fuck, I'm going to have to use the sink or something. I'll never go back and eat at that fucking place,_ he thought as another spasm swept over him.

One more stall remained and he kicked the door open to find a relatively clean toilet. He dropped his pants and sat down, releasing his clinched stomach.

A short time later, Jathen began to feel a little better. He opened up the stall and turned to go wash his hands. Standing against the wall, was the old man that dropped the coffee cup at Grilt.

"Food's not so good there," said the old man as he fixed the collar on his old green jacket. "But the coffee...now that's some of the best in town."

"I'll keep that in mind for the next time I visit," said Jathen as he washed his hands in the sink.

"I've been following you ever since the restaurant," said the old man.

"You actually call that place a restaurant?" Jathen was still not feeling real well and he didn't feel like chitchatting with this guy.

"Anyway, I heard what you said about E-Squad. Watched how you handled those guys at the bar. If you really want to find them, I can point you in the right direction."

Jathen turned and looked at him. "Why didn't you say something the first time?"

"I don't go around telling this kind of info to just anybody. I have a good feeling about you. Had to see a little more."

"Okay. I'm listening. What have you got, old-timer."

"My son...he was recruited by them a few years back. He works at the Sky Canopy generator. He might be able to help you."

Jathen rubbed his chin. "How do I find him?"

"Can't miss him. Works in the control center. He's kind of large. Blonde hair. Name's Jim Othello. Ask him your questions. Just don't tell him I sent you. We had a falling-out after he was recruited. He didn't join up, obviously. I wanted him to..." He rubbed the top of his head and looked at the ground. "Maybe he can get you pointed in the right direction. Maybe you can make a difference."

"Thanks, man. Seriously. I was beginning to lose hope."

The old man looked up with his tired eyes. "Never do that. There's always hope."

22 Granite

E-Squad entered Harrison Timburk's penthouse apartment at precisely ten a.m. The apartment had been transformed into a scene of commotion. Yellow tape stretched across several areas, infrared lights shined down on the two leather couches and a team of regular policeman huddled near the back of the room comparing notes. The crime scene investigation crew was already hard at work looking for traces of clues or any other type of information that would help on the case.

Granite looked around at the lavish technical wonder of the penthouse. He didn't usually care about riches or material things, but he couldn't help but take notice of the extravagant home. As he looked around the room he noticed the policemen and CSI team had stopped what they were doing. He felt all their eyes shift toward him and his team. As a six foot four, 260 pound black man, he was used to getting some attention himself, but this time it felt different, the focus was on all three of them, all three members of E-Squad together. Granite wondered what they were all thinking.

He was used to a different type of work, the murder scene was an unexpected change of pace. He felt the weight of his hammers strapped to his back. Being equipped with extra-heavy armor and two special hand-to-hand weapons called Quake Hammers, he was the tank of the team—a close combat expert, not a detective. The properties of the metal used in the hammers were similar to that used in the Sky Canopy generator's core, Syneranium. The Quake Hammers amplify the energy of the impact when they collide with something, causing significantly more damage. He was used to destroying things and hunting down criminals, not studying the aftermath.

He wore a lighter version of his armor, dark gray with yellow highlights. His head was exposed to show his graying, receding hairline and the long scar that stretched from his forehead down to his left cheek. His dark eyes and skin contrasted against Snow as she stood next to him. Her pale skin and pretty features were exposed as well, with her spiky black hair, piercing blue eyes and white formfitting outfit. Swelter wore his burgundy uniform with his shiny black visor covering his eyes. Stylized flames adorned his chest and arms, making it impossible not to notice him. The Mexican always liked to try and look cool, even while he was on the job.

"These guys look like they've seen a ghost," said Swelter quietly. "Maybe we should do a little magic trick for them."

"Be professional," commanded Granite. "We usually work with the same group of cops from the slums. These guys don't know us."

Snow didn't seem to mind the attention. "This is some place your friend has here, Granite," she said. She was always prepared, and she had obviously gone over the notes of the mission.

"Hey, I knew him, but he wasn't quite a friend," Granite said as he watched the police officers and the CSI people go back to doing their jobs. "We did some work together back in the war. Haven't even seen him in years—never really liked the guy."

Swelter patted him on the back. "You don't like anyone, big fella."

"Not true," he responded mechanically. "I like lots of people—just feel no need to show it."

"I'm just messing with you, buddy. I know all about the whole unemotional thing," said Swelter.

Granite didn't reply. He turned to further survey the room. "Anyway, like I said, I didn't like this guy much. I hope I'm not the reason why they called us in. He and I don't have anything to do with each other anymore. After the war I joined E-squad and he got into business. Obviously, he's done better than me financially." He bent down to study a strange piece of art.

He noticed the exotic jungle theme that covered the digital wall, glancing around the posh penthouse and wondered how someone could become this wealthy. The unusually roomy penthouse contained much high-end technology and many costly art pieces. This place is like a museum, he thought.

It had been quite a few years since Granite had seen Harrison Timburk. He remembered the abilities Timburk possessed, his uncanny ability to manipulate others. That scoundrel must have talked his way to the top.

They had only been in the room for several seconds when a middle-aged man walked over to greet them, wearing a black tailored suit, with a plain blue paisley tie. A shiny badge decorated his waistline. His closely cropped black hair was paired with a finely manicured, dark mustache.

"Hello, my name is detective Turner. I'm in charge of the investigation." He shook everyone's hand in turn and then spoke direct to Granite. "You must be Granite. No offense to you all, but we don't really like outside help on our investigations. We do this stuff all the time. It's our job. However, with that being said, someone way above me has asked us to cooperate with you people and work together on this case.

It looks like there was some special weaponry used that goes beyond our normal expertise, so that's where you come in." He shook his head and rubbed the side of his closely shaven face. "As much as I don't like it, I won't get in your way, but please understand this is still my crime scene. Anything you find comes to me first, understood?"

"We understand, detective," said Granite. "We're just here to help. We'll have a look around and let you know what we find."

"Will we be able to see the witness?" asked Snow.

"Not just yet. We've gotten the quick version, but we're giving her a break. She's been a bit shaken up—was in the process of getting raped, the killer saved her. Ironic, I know. When the murderer got finished with Timburk here, he decided to go downstairs and dice up the girl's attackers also. Left a bloody mess down behind the building. So like I said—quick version. But, we'll be asking her some more questions soon."

"Let us know what else she offers," said Granite. "What have you got so far on Timburk?"

"CSI has already made an analysis and compiled what they think happened." He waved at one of the women working on the crime scene and motioned for her to join them. "This is Stacy Armostein, she's been working on the residual replay or RR."

The woman wore a light blue jacket over a dark turtleneck shirt with the logo AOCC CSI. She carried a digital-camera-like contraption that she placed near the back wall, facing the center of the room. She held a remote in her left hand and punched in a button sequence that started the machine. Three legs extended out and raised the machine up creating a tripod. It projected a three dimensional hologram into the room showing two computer generated people.

"What we are currently viewing is a residual replay of the action that transpired. This is what we were able to determine," she said.

The machine clicked and whined as a rough version of the fight played out in front of them. The simulation went through the motions of a quick confrontation. It ended with Timburk lying on the ground, dead.

The woman paused the hologram. "The assailant definitely had some form of training. This attack was quick and precise." She rewound the projection and pointed to the fatal wound.

Granite stared at the holographic replay. Nothing seemed unusual. Why was his team needed?

"This next part is really strange. We can't figure out what is happening," said the woman.

Granite waited for the replay to continue. The mannequin-looking digital model moved into the center of the room, and suddenly disappeared.

Granite stood like a stone statue as he watched. He didn't show any expression. He had seen these tricks before.

It was Snow who showed interest. She frowned and looked at the place where the model had been standing. "What was that?" she asked.

The CSI woman shrugged, "You tell us. He seemed to disappear, maybe teleport."

"That's not possible. People can't teleport without the containment unit that keeps the molecules from scattering."

"We honestly don't know—and we don't know how he got inside either. This is the thing that scares the upper office. I think that's why they called you all in. Anyway, the residual replay picks back up outside. We could show you the enactment of what happened out there, but it's basically a dismemberment of the girl's attackers. There wasn't much left... though he did spare the girl."

"Hmm, no guns, a sword and teleportation," said Granite. He turned toward Swelter. "Can you scan the body? Find out anything else?"

Swelter nodded and approached Timburk's body. He held in a button on the side of his visor and a red beam of light shot out. He first scanned the entire body of the victim. Next, he zeroed in on the severed arm and head. He focused on the wounds, then continued to the nearby piece of metal art that Timburk had tried to use as a shield.

Swelter straightened and waited for the results of the scan. "It's definitely an energy weapon of some kind." He concentrated on the data. "We've never seen anything like this before. The ends of the metal show the effect of a welding arc or plasma cutter—hyper accelerated. I'm relaying the data to HQ for further analysis."

Detective Turner joined Swelter by the body. "We think the guy was an Ultra. The girl's eyewitness account was someone with inhuman-like speed, with an electrical sword. And that scares me the most, with all due respect to you E-Squaders. I know some people don't believe in extraordinary people, but I know better. We don't need super-powered criminals running around appearing unexpectedly inside peoples' homes—chopping them up with their technologically advanced weaponry."

Granite was a man of action. He wasn't the puzzle solving type. He didn't like being here trying to figure out what had happened, but he did agree. "You're right detective, it's not good. We need to get to the bottom of this." He turned to face Snow. "Do you have any objections to taking the lead on this back at HQ?"

"None at all. I'd be glad to help the detective. Any reason why someone would want this Timburk guy dead?" she asked Turner.

"We're looking into it," said the detective. "Timburk was a wealthy guy, in a high-power position. Most of the time it boils down to money.

"I knew the guy back in the Border Wars. Like I said before, guy was kind of an asshole—if he's anything like he used to be that is. I'm sure he didn't have a whole shit-ton of fans."

The detective chuckled. "It looks like we'll have to work together to solve this one. We'll be sending all our crime scene data to your headquarters. If we find anything else that will be of help to you—"

"Umm, excuse me, detective," the CSI woman said. "One more thing. Before the action started, the killer revealed himself to Mr. Timburk." She replayed the residual recording to a point where it showed the killer taking off his mask. She pointed to the top of his head. "The technology isn't good enough to show us his face, but if you look close, this man appears to be bald." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if that will help, but I figured I should point it out."

"Good point," the detective said. "Ever little bit helps." He turned to face Granite. "Like I was saying, we'll send over everything we have. I would appreciate it if you did the same. I know you guys are used to doing things your way, but like I said before, please keep me informed before you make any moves."

"You got it detective, we'll be in touch," said Granite.

As the three made their way out of the building, Granite could only think back to the incident some twenty years ago. Seeing Timburk's lifeless body reminded him of that cold winter day. He, Timburk and Taylor were sent in search of the missing energy scientist, Dr. Mirren. Things didn't happen the way they were supposed to and it ended badly. Timburk was the catalyst that tipped the mission the wrong way. It turned into a salvage job—a cover up. Ever since that day, he considered Timburk a piece of shit and Taylor not much better. But one other thing he remembered from that mission was the strange hairless boy with the white eyes. Taylor chased the kid into the forest and said the Ferals got him. Granite always wondered if the kid had really been killed.

A bald headed man. Has to be a Coincidence.

23 Jathen

This was going to work out perfectly, he thought. He had a scheduled tour to see the Sky Canopy generator, which is the very place he needed to go. This Othello guy supposedly worked at the generator. Jathen had to find him to learn more about E-Squad. Things seemed like they were falling into place.

He met back up with Murray at his hotel.

"What happened to you, partner?" Murray asked as he pulled the car away from the hotel.

"Oh...I decided to go out and have some breakfast. Wanted to do a little sight-seeing on my own, you know?"

"No problem, man. I just want to make sure you got a chance to see all the cool stuff in the city. That's why I lined up all these tours. Most Outsiders like this touristy stuff. But if you want to do your own thing, that's cool too. I'm glad you came back for the generator tour. You're going to enjoy this."

As they arrived at the generator, Jathen looked up at the asymmetrical structure. Its uncanny size and shape, with a deep, dark blue color, and various dome-like shapes protruding from its sleek walls, gave it an unworldly appearance against the buildings that surrounded it.

The site of the huge bulky building sparked Jathen's curiosity. The appearance of the large building gave it a mysterious undertone that implied something important dwelt inside. Six arms stretched out from somewhere within the hulking structure and disappeared into the digital canvas of Sky Canopy's inner side. There appeared to be an observatory high up, near the top of the building; the semi-circular room protruded from the side of the facility like a head of a turtle from its shell. Does this thing look alien or what? Never saw anything like this before.

"Man, every time I look at that thing I'm amazed," said Murray as he gazed upward. "Such power. There has never been anything like it in history."

Jathen agreed. "Yeah, I can't wait to see what it looks like on the inside." And who works there. "This thing is crazy looking. Hell, why not just build a few more buildings like this around town. You won't need any force field to keep the Ferals out, this thing would scare them away."

Murray laughed. "Yeah, like a giant scarecrow. Man, I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, that thing is one of a kind. You won't see anything like it anywhere else in the world. It's what makes it possible for us to live the way we do. I sure do appreciate it. Come on, let's have a look inside."

As they walked toward the entrance, Jathen noticed a large crowd surrounding a bronze statue that rose above the people. He could see enough to know that it was a scientist holding a cylindrical object. Must be the guy who invented this crazy thing.

"Oh no, we got us an Apocalyptic rally going on," Murray said nodding to the crowd. "Sebastian Mlock must be giving a speech, he's an Outsider like you. Came in the other day. He makes headlines every time he enters the city. They won't give him a license to live inside because he's such a trouble maker."

Jathen veered off and headed toward the crowd.

"Where you going, Jathen? You don't really want to listen to this garbage, right?" asked Murray in a failed attempt to stop him.

"Hold on a minute. I want to listen to what he has to say. I find these guys entertaining."

Jathen looked around at the crowd before him. He could instantly tell that these people were of the weak-minded. He could almost feel their blind devotion. They were followers just waiting to be led, like cattle to the slaughter. It fascinated him how some people could be so naive.

"You want to hear some bad things about the generator, and life in general, stick around and listen to this guy," Murray frowned.

The crowd hushed in anticipation. They looked on with dull cow eyes at a man standing on the top step to the entranceway of the generator. He was dressed in a flowing white robe trimmed in red. It shimmered in the light from the digital sky above. His dark eyes were inset deep into his face and peered out over a pointed beak-like nose. His gray hair was slicked back into a small ponytail. His voice projected over the crowd through a form of voice enhancement.

"Citizens of Cleveland, I stand before you a humble servant of the Lord above. I serve as his messenger and I ask that you heed my words wisely, for He is watching and judging as I stand before you. We must understand that we live in what the Bible foretold as the Apocalypse. Our forefathers have brought God's wrath down upon us.

"...But worry not. We are the privileged ones. We are the witnesses to the greatest act in history. We live within the days of scripture. We must not hide from it; we must embrace it. We hide behind this shell and forget why we are here. What it is, we must overcome. What it is, we must do.

"We must not make the same mistakes as those before us. We must be strong and let faith guide us. You must understand, fellow citizens, our forefathers have forsaken us. When they pushed away and rebelled against our Holy Father, he released Satan upon us. Left us to deal with daemons without his support. But, we must not repent. Through their neglect is the path to our redemption, and our glory!

"Satan's children are amongst us here on Earth. We must face them before we can be forgiven. The safety of this shield is not safety from God's wrath. Cast away this shield! Let faith be our protector! Cast it away and regain what we lost!

Cheers followed from the crowd. Jathen stood and watched a short distance from the back and Murray stood next to him. "This guy is a creep. He always says the same thing. Bring down Sky Canopy. Faith. Faith. Man, he a crazy fool. I have had enough. I'll meet you inside." Murray turned and headed toward the entrance door.

Jathen stayed for a few more minutes, watching and listening to the fanatic in front of him. He studied the man's face, studied the crowd. Watched as they reacted to him. He knew the power a man like that could hold if he gathered enough followers.

Jathen had passed by the apocalyptic church that resided in Columbus. He had never gone inside and had never met this Mlock guy, but he had heard of him.

The man in the white robes continued, "make no mistake my, friends, the shield will fall. It must. It must fall for us to regain what we lost. Fear not, we will be protected. I will be your guide."

The crowd began to get somewhat antsy. They started to yell out things. The speaker noticed this and fed their appetites even more. "Cast down this shell! Join me in our quest for enlightenment!"

As he continued, city police began to gather on either side. They moved in closer to the crowd and waited to get the order to break it up.

The speaker took notice. "Look around you, friends. The AOCC sends their policemen to stop you from hearing the truth. They want to remain in power and live their extravagant lives. Do not let them keep us down; rise up. Live."

As the crowd grew rowdy, an officer approached the speaker, grabbed him by the arm, and escorted him away. The crowd yelled and cursed, but the police kept them in check. Soon, they started to disperse.

Something for someone else to worry about, thought Jathen as he headed after Murray.

Upon entering the facility, Jathen once again had to pass through a compact series of security checkpoints, not unlike the magna-rail station through which he entered the city. Armed guards stood at every station. Hmm, guess they don't want anyone to mess up their little city in a bubble, he thought.

He passed under a dark steel, industrial entryway. The ceiling vaulted to a point, high above, and the floor showcased polished stainless steel tiles. A single elegant desk stood in the center near the back of the room with a woman sitting behind it. She wore a green skirt and cream blouse that contrasted against her dark skin. Her blue hair was pulled back into a bun behind her pretty, slender face. Murray waited near the desk, apparently enjoying himself as he laughed along with the woman.

"Mr. Fields," addressed the woman. "Welcome to the Sky Canopy generator. If the two of you would please take the stairs downward, you can join the rest of the group below. The tour is about to begin and the guide will instruct you from there." She winked at Murray as she finished.

To either side of the desk was a wide staircase that led to a tunnel below. Two more armed guards stood erect at either side of the tunnel entrance, each wearing standard AOCC military uniforms and armed with rifles. Jathen and Murray joined a small group of around twelve people just past the guards.

A short gray-haired man with gray pants and a blue button-up shirt spoke up. "Welcome, please join us. You must be Jathen; and hello again, Murray, good to see you as usual. My name is Dr. Ethan Tidsdale. I will be your tour guide this afternoon. I would like to point out that we have two outsiders joining us on our little tour. Mr. Jathen Fields, the mound fighter, and Mr. Vander Lee, the current advisor from the outside."

Jathen looked over at the politician. He had heard the name before, but had never met the man. He reached over and gripped Vander's hand.

"Pleasure," said Vander. "I saw your fight the other night, very impressive. You're a hero to the people of Columbus."

"Thank you for your kind words, but I'm no hero. That title belongs to you. You're the one that's here for the people."

Jathen was about to say more when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Jathen, I'm going to skip this one if you don't mind," said Murray. "I've seen this all before, and I have something else that I'm interested in, if you catch my drift." He winked and headed back up the stairs. No doubt to hang out with his receptionist lady friend.

No problem, Murray. I've got to find someone anyway. Better keep my eyes open, I don't want to miss this Othello character. He's in here somewhere. I can feel it.

The generator facility was like nothing Jathen had ever seen. The sterile, industrial facility gave off an otherworldly appearance. Most of the interior was made of smooth shiny walls, trimmed with glowing white strips of light. Many moving mechanical parts filled every room and made the place feel alive as if the building itself were a living entity. Jathen wondered what the purpose of all these animated fixtures was.

As he followed the tour through the large, open-spaced belly of the building, he saw walls filled with micro-lit pistons, spinning circular lights, tubes of liquid, and vast moving panels filled with spider webs of lights. All the while, he kept looking around for a large blonde-haired man.

The tour took them near the top of the facility, were the Master Control Room was located. Jathen and the others were led to a viewing area with a long glass window. The control room showcased many holographic images that filled the air around a large semi-circle table. The images spilled onto the walls as workers moved their arms through the air manipulating the images and controls.

The tour guide began explaining what happened in the room. "This is the Master Control Room..."

Jathen let his voice drown out and began to survey the room searching for a large man with blonde hair. His eyes swept the room, but he couldn't see anyone that fit the description.

He was still looking over the room when someone walked in front of him. "Excuse me," said the man coming from a door in the back of the room.

The old man was right, he couldn't miss this fellow; a large, blond haired man with a round, barrel-sized beer-belly clumsily slid between Jathen and another guest.

_The timing couldn't be any better._ Jathen stepped forward and gently grabbed the man's shoulder. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Othello?"

The man stopped and looked at Jathen. He paused, obviously searching for a reason why this stranger knew his name. "Umm... yeah, that's me. How can I help you?"

Jathen moved in closer so that only Othello could hear. "I understand you were contacted by E-Squad. I'm trying to get in touch with them myself. Can you help?"

Othello's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "Don't say that out loud around here." He glanced around again and motioned to a door in the corner of the room. "Over there. I'll talk to you over there."

"What about the tour?" asked Jathen.

"They won't be going anywhere for a few minutes. Come on, follow me."

They walked into a small conference room with a table and four chairs. Othello closed the door behind Jathen.

"Look, Mister... I don't know who you are or what you're looking for, but please don't go around saying anything about me and E-Squad."

"No problem. Your dad sent me here. Told me you might be able to help. I'm trying to find E-Squad."

Othello pulled out a chair and sat down with a plop. "I haven't spoken to my dad in years. He's somewhat delusional. He thinks I'm something I'm not. He wanted me to join up with those people, but that's not for me. He must still have ideas in his head, that's probably why he sent you to find me. Thought you might convince me or something." He let out a long sigh. "Alright, we might as well get this over with. What do you want from me?"

Jathen stayed standing. "I'm just trying to get in touch with E-Squad so I can offer up my services. I personally don't care what you do with your life. No offense."

"Your services? Really? What for? Put your life on the line? Be called a freak? That's not my idea of fun." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, guy, they somehow found out that I had the Ultra gene and wanted me to sign up. That's about it."

Jathen shook his head. "What do you mean, that's it? Who did you talk to?"

"I don't know...some scientist. He told me about all the training and adventure and stuff." Othello pushed back from the table so Jathen could see him. "Look at this body. Do you think I was meant for that line of work?"

Jathen shrugged his shoulders. "You never know, man. What can you do that others can't?"

"I can see in the dark, nothing too special. Anyway, they came to me. I didn't go to any headquarters or anything. I didn't look them up." He scooted his chair back in. "Some guy came and interviewed me and that was it. I really can't help you get in touch with them."

Jathen had a deflating feeling. "What did they do, come to your home? They didn't bring you to their home base or anything?

"No. I never got that far. Like I said, I wasn't interested. My pop should have had my gift. He would have been more what they were looking for."

"So that's it? You have nothing? I thought..." Jathen couldn't think of another question. It was useless and he knew it. He shook his head, opened the door, and headed back toward the tour without saying another word.

"Keep that to yourself, by-the-way," said Othello. "I don't need my co-workers finding out—"

The door to the conference room closed shut.

24 Snow

Morning at E-Squad headquarters was as busy as ever. The people that worked behind the scenes went about their business as always. A meeting in progress in the boardroom, small groups of men and women huddled around holo-computers discussing video replays, holo-conferences, coffee consumption, chit-chat from the night before. Busy, busy, busy.

The office room was a collage of dark-blue colors. The floors were covered with a patterned carpet and the cubical walls were navy blue with small digital nametags. It was a working, moving office and no one paid any attention to Snow as she entered.

Snow was very eager to find out what the scientists had learned about the weapon used in the murder. She had been up most of the night thinking about the case. She found herself rather enjoying the detective work.

She marched straight to her workstation without even stopping to say hello to anyone. Her office consisted of a chair in front of a table surrounded by the navy partition walls covered in digital headshots of criminals.

Placing both her hands on the desk, it lit up with icons and work-related video streams. She moved her hand in several motions and the flat desktop popped into a three dimensional hologram.

"Snowflake?" she spoke to the hologram. "Updates, messages and schedule please."

The computer responded in the familiar soft female voice, "Hello, Snow. I have finished checking over your techno-suit from the last mission and it is in excellent working condition. You have new holo-mail and four appointments today."

"Please cancel all of my appointments. I will be indisposed today working on a murder case. Can you run a search for me on Harrison Timburk? Search for anything unusual that has happened in the last few days: large sums of money deposits, any kind of out-of-the-ordinary work related incidents, possible gambling losses, anything that could turn into a motive for a murder."

"I am searching now."

"Thank you, Snowflake. I will be back shortly."

Snow exited her office and headed toward the research and development department. Momentarily sticking her head into Swelter's office, "I'm having Snowflake check for possible motives. Can you forward your info down to the research lab?

"Way ahead of you, lady. It's already down there."

"Great, thanks. I'm going down to talk to Alex and find out what he knows."

"Be right here if you need me."

"If Granite comes looking for me—after he finishes filling his face with breakfast burritos—tell him I'm on it already."

She hurried into the lightvator and teleported to a separate part of the building. The kinetic energy within the lab always created excitement. Many people worked on all sorts of strange items and projects, things that would eventually be used by E-Squad. Several people tested new forms of armor, while others manipulated weaponry. A man enclosed in a testing booth worked on weaponry for a new recruit. Wonder what the new guy will be able to do? She thought as she watched the technician fiddle with projected images.

Off to the left side, waving his hands through and around a holo-computer, stood Dr. Alex Johnson. Wearing a black lab coat, black shirt, and plaid pants, he moved like a conductor as he manipulated floating images. His graying, stringy hair fell down around his shoulders and his facial features gave away his Indian decent. As Snow approached, he motioned for her to join him.

"You guys might have your hands full with this one, Agent Snow," he told her as his hands sped through the air. "The data you all collected was not totally complete, but what you found is astonishing. Look at this." The hologram switched to a schematic of a sword.

Snow was taken aback at how quickly the R&D team had pieced a model together. She shook her head and smiled. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint, Doctor. I was hoping to see something today and you've already got a complete model? You're quite amazing."

"Old men like myself love flattery in any form, especially coming from pretty young ladies such as yourself." He never took his eyes off his work. "Now take a look here. From the combination of Swelter's scan and that of the data compiled by the Crime Scene Investigation Team, we have quite an extraordinary weapon. This is totally new technology."

With an edge of excitement in his voice, he described the weapon. "It uses a single-sided cutting edge that is enhanced by an electrical current. The arc amplifies the cutting power of the blade many times over. This sword can potentially cut through just about anything. Something is feeding power into the weapon to create this electrical arc effect. We just don't know what." He pushed his glasses up further onto his nose. "If you plan to apprehend this fellow, I'm guessing he is not someone who is going to want to come along quietly. If you come face to face with this guy...you had better be ready.

Snow frowned. "First thing we need to do is find him. Then once we do, if he puts up a fight, I'll just keep my distance and bring him down with ice. He can't cut what he can't get close too."

"Don't underestimate him," replied the Doctor as he waved his hands through the image. It switched to a computer-rendered person, then zoomed in on a backpack and connecting arm guns. "Now this might be even crazier than the sword. What we have here, is some sort of teleportation device that transports a single uncontained occupant short distances, at will." He spun the rendering around to show all sides. "We do not have enough data to understand the limitations or the inner-workings of such a tool, but this guy—he can close distances very quickly.

"Okay... I love a good challenge. So this guy has unlimited teleportation abilities and a sword that can cut through just about anything?"

"Precisely. And the crime possibilities are virtually endless." Dr. Johnson turned toward her. "I don't need to spell it out for you, Agent Snow. This is the reason why we're on this case."

"I figured. Do you know how any of this is possible, Doc?"

"What we know is that both require large amounts of energy to operate and we have no clue how he can generate that kind of power. A lightvator takes a tremendous amount of energy to teleport. Without a power plant, I don't see how it's possible. We really need to find out more about these tools and the owner; we could learn a lot from this technology. Just try not to get yourself killed in the process, my dear. I do like your compliments."

She patted him on the back before she turned to leave. "Thanks, Doc. This should give us a good start on our investigation. After I take this guy down, I'll bring you back whatever is left."

She returned to her office and fell into her chair. "What have you found, Snowflake?" she asked.

The soft female voice responded, "I have filtered out a few things that may be of interest to you.

"First, there was a hacker attempt to gain access to Mr. Timburk's bank vault. The attempt was unsuccessful.

"Second, a large deposit was made into a bank from what appears to be a big winner at the Tinebaun Hotel and Casino. Timburk had recently spent a weekend at the hotel.

"Third, a homeless man was beaten to death. His murderers are still at large. Sources show Timburk belittling the man when he asked for some spare cash.

"Fourth, a high-ranking power-plant engineer was let go from his chairman position. Timburk had dealings with this man and was a client of his company."

Snow shook her head as she began to analyze the four motives, nothing jumped out at her. Just as she started to focus on the details, the hologram blinked red as the female head and torso of the director of E-squad interrupted the picture.

"Snow, we just got a report that Walter Huff has been found dead in his home. It appears to have happened last night, with implications that it might be connected to the Timburk murder. The rest of the team has been notified and we need you all over there immediately."

"Did you say Walter Huff, the former director of the AOCC?"

"Yes. I don't think I have to tell you the priority for this one. We sent you to the Timburk murder scene because of the nature of the technology. This is on another level. This has become a complete man hunt. I want this man found immediately."

"On my way!"

The mansion lay in the heart of the Westside—the part of the city called Avon. A large ten-acre piece of property kept the home somewhat isolated from the surrounding area. An unusual site in the mega city, a piece of property this size was unheard of. The estate proved that Walter Huff was one of the wealthiest men alive.

The grounds were impeccably landscaped with various walkways intertwining throughout a lush garden setting and surrounded by a small forest. The lavish mansion didn't compare to the high-tech, Harrison Timburk penthouse, but its elegance carried more weight.

Decorated with ornamental wood, vaulted ceilings and high glass windows, the interior exuberated wealth. Many pieces of ancient famous art, ranging from paintings to pottery, adorned the walls and floor.

The grand living room, with its vaulted ceiling and antique furniture, showcased the site of a familiar scene. A lifeless body lay slumped over in an oversized leather chair. With wide, unmoving eyes and gaping-open mouth, the still form of Mr. Walter Huff was the center of attention.

The CSI woman, Stacy—from the Timburk murder—stood near the chair running the ghostly residual replay program as the team entered the room. "Ah, just in time," she said. "We're just showing the RR now. As you can see, this is a similar outcome as the last." The rendered holographic program played out as the small group watched. "Very similar to the Timburk murder. Probably the same guy," She added.

The carcass of an entire chicken sat on the stand next to the chair, along with a bowl of mayonnaise. An overly large soda sat sweating in a puddle of water. Walter's dangling arm still clutched a bowl that had spilled fluffy Cheetos all over his lap. Charred remains of the cheesy snack had melted into the gooey gash that stretched across his massive chest.

Snow examined the body. Whatever had killed him appeared to have cauterized the wound, there was little blood spilled. It was very similar to the wounds of Harrison Timburk.

"It looks like our killer is making his rounds. Gotta be the same guy, right?" asked Swelter as he stared down at the deep gash carved into the flabby chest of Walter Huff.

"I'll say. He got Timburk, who is somewhat of a high profile person, and now Walter Huff? Who's next?" Snow replied.

Granite stared at the body quietly. Snow could tell he was in deep thought.

"There is something going on here—definitely some kind of agenda. This is no coincidence, these two murders are related," said Snow.

Swelter scanned the body as he did Harrison Timburk, and relayed it back to HQ.

"I'm sure it's going to turn out similar to Timburk," said Granite in a monotone voice.

It was hard to read Granite, but Snow knew something was bothering him. She watched as he stood like a statue staring at the dead body. She decided to ask him what was going on, "Are you OK, boss?"

Granite ran his hand over his balding head, "Fine. I'm just trying to take this in. This is really going to hit the fan. The media will have a field day. Huff murdered? They're going to want answers, fast."

"Let me know what you're thinking. Do you have any idea who might have done this? You knew Timburk—is there any relation here?"

"I knew him a long time ago. If there's any connection, it's beyond me. I definitely didn't know the fat man here, not personally anyway. He gave us orders and that's as close as I ever got to him."

Snow looked at him curiously. Even through his stone hard poker face, she could tell he wasn't sharing everything. "You don't have to hold anything back from me, Mike. I'm your friend. If you have any ideas, please let me know."

Granite looked up at her as serious as ever. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on myself, Alessia." He turned away from her and moved closer to the body to help Swelter with the examination.

He definitely knew more than he was letting on, but Snow didn't want to push him. She watched him through the corner of her eye. He stood like a statue looking at the dead body—something he did often. Through his stone-like appearance, she could see his wheels turning.

Granite had the ability to suppress his emotions. Like a tank in battle, with the experience to back it up, he was the ultimate soldier. A battle-hardened warrior with exceptional focus and no fear. He took orders and carried them out, no more no less.

Snow knew there would be no sweet-talking any information from him. If his mind was set, there would be no changing it. She was going to have to take the long road on this one.

"I know this guy was the big leader at one point, but I heard he wasn't the nicest guy around. Maybe someone got sick of taking his crap?" said Swelter as he continued to scan the body.

"You might want to watch what you're saying around here, Swelter. Look who's coming," said Snow as detective Turner and Ronaldo Huff entered the room.

Snow watched Ronaldo casually walk by, surprised at how calm he appeared. His father had just been murdered, but he didn't look very sad. Maybe it was all part of being the leader of the city. She watched him glance at the dead body before he approached Granite.

"May I have a word?" asked Ronaldo. His tall, thin appearance was vastly different than his father's large frame. Granite nodded and followed him into a separate room.

Detective Turner approached Snow. "He wasn't all that happy about me asking him questions." He nodded toward the room Ronaldo had entered with Granite. "I'm sure he is used to asking the questions, not the other way around."

"You should feel privileged," said Swelter. "It's not every day that you get to question the head of the AOCC. How did you get to him without his body guards stopping you?"

"As you can see, they're not present. He must have hurried right over when he got the news. I figured it was as good a time as any, so I went ahead with the process. He cooperated and everything. I got what I wanted and he's clean. What do you think he wants with Granite?"

"It probably has to do with Granite serving his father back in the war," said Snow.

"I had a feeling. I'd like to ask Granite a few questions also. Don't worry; he's not a suspect. I just have a few questions. By the way, did your scientists find any useful information from the Timburk case?"

"Ohhhh yes. You'll want to see their findings. I'm guessing they've already forwarded the report to your office. If not, I will get it to you," said Snow. "Actually, Detective, would you mind if I accompanied you back to your office? I would like to go over with you what the scientists have found. This guy is far from your normal murder. He's trained and deadly. I think we really have our hands full on this one."

25 Jathen

Jathen Fields sat in the increasingly familiar backseat of Murray's vehicle. He had spent the previous night frantically trying to come up with another way to gain citizenship. Finding E-Squad had proven to be more difficult than he imagined. He had searched around on the holo-computer for hours, but all he found was dead-ends. Maybe he would just have to accept the fact that he would at least get a chance to come into the city every few months for a match. He shook his head as he stared out the window. That's unacceptable. I don't give up that easily.

As they pulled up to their final destination of his trip, Murray lowered the window that separated them. "We're about to arrive at your next home, Jathen. This is the one-and-only AG Fighting Association. I hope you're hungry, the owner has prepared a wonderful lunch, special for your visit. Mr. Silvara has been looking forward to meeting you ever since he first saw you fight—I think that was about three matches ago. We've been keeping tabs on you ever since."

"Hmm, following my career, huh? I didn't think anyone knew who I was until that last fight against Savage."

"Oh no. We take notice of anyone who shows promise. Trust me, I'm sure we're not the only ones who have noticed you."

That made Jathen stop and think. Really, I wonder who else is watching what I'm doing. Maybe E-Squad has already noticed me.

The short, wide building with the four sets of double doors displayed large illuminated, red letters spelling out the company name, AG Fighting Association, above the entrance. After passing through a brief security station, Murray and Jathen continued through a quiet, dimly lit entryway. Jathen could see the next set of doors that led to the event center stage, but Murray led him past them and down a long hallway.

They came to a door with a sign that read 'staff only.' Through the door and down several other halls, they finally came to a plush hallway lined with moving images of past fighters. The richly red-carpeted floor matched the gold-trimmed walls.

Jathen paused to look at one of the many moving images. It showed a man delivering a bone-crushing blow to his opponent.

Jathen shifted his focus to the reflected image of himself in the glass. He straighten his navy blue tie with the light blue pattern. It complemented the baby-blue shirt and dark jacket that he wore for the meeting. If he signed on with these guys here today, he expected to have a video of his own on the wall shortly.

As they came to the final room at the end of the hall, they stepped inside to see a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a stark-white suit. He immediately greeted them. "Welcome gentlemen. This is the moment I've been waiting for all week. Mr. Fields, it is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Randy Silvara. I'm the president of the AG Fighting Association." He greeted Jathen with a firm handshake.

"The pleasure is mine," responded Jathen.

"I'm sure you've been taken well care of by my friend Murray here." He shook Murray's hand as well.

Jathen hadn't given a lot of thought about the man that had shown him around town, but he realized at that moment that over the past couple days he had gotten to know Murray pretty well and actually really liked the guy. "Murray's been great. I couldn't have asked for a better host."

"Glad to hear it. Please join us at the table. I'm sure you're starving by now. I'm guessing it's been a long morning. We can get something to eat and then we'll show you around the place."

"Sounds good," said Jathen as he looked around the elegant room. The center table had all the formal place settings, with glasses of sparkling water and a light salad awaiting them. Two servers quickly attended to the three men as they sat down to eat.

"So, what do you think of our city so far, Jathen?" asked Mr. Silvara

"I think it's fascinating. I'd love to make this stay permanent. I'll show you why if you come outside to my side of town some time."

Mr. Silvara laughed. "No offence, but I may take a rain check on that one. This is one guy who isn't going outside any time soon. I'll tell you what, I may not be able to give you permanent residency, but I can give you a few more trips inside."

"Fair enough. Just don't be surprised if I figure out a way to stick around." said Jathen as the server set a plate in front of him with a croissant sandwich and cup of fruit.

Mr. Silvara smiled. "That would suit us just fine. Just remember who gave you the chance."

Jathen picked up the sandwich. "I do have a couple questions about the fights. Like, how does it work? How do I get a fight... or how do I get scheduled for a fight?"

Mr. Silvara finished chewing the bit of salad in his mouth. "We'll get you scheduled right away. We'll give you an opponent—someone relatively easy to get you introduced and further build the hype. We'll give you a standard three-month training camp to prepare. If you win, we'll get another fight scheduled in three to four months after that. We'll keep you going until you win the title. If you think you can."

Jathen smiled as he bit into the sandwich: turkey with white cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, delicious. He shifted the food to the side of his mouth. "I'm not sure you have anyone here that will give me a challenge."

"Good answer; I like arrogance in my fighters. But, trust me, we've got serious challengers. I don't want you to think this is a walk in the park. If you come on with us, expect some competition. Our guys are... a bit different than you're used to."

"How so?"

"Let's just say some of them have been trained differently."

"We'll just have to see about that."

Mr. Silvara grinned and dove into his sandwich.

After lunch, Mr. Silvara led Jathen and Murray around the offices of the association. Apparently, the place looked like a standard business setting, but to Jathen it was foreign. He had never had the chance to witness a corporate office with all the small rooms and cubicles that rose from the floor. He was always surprised at how clean everything in the city appeared. He noticed a small cleaning robot working its way across the carpet. Cleaning robots? That's new. Where I come from we use elbow grease to clean.

Many people worked in the various rooms and cubicles, and they all greeted him graciously. After passing through the offices, they headed into the training facility.

"This is where all our fighters train," said Mr. Silvara. "We have state-of-the-art technology to help you be at your best. You can spar in the simulators, lift weights, work on speed... anything you need. Take a look for yourself."

The long room was filled with fighting hopefuls. Many men and women worked out and trained using various techniques and equipment throughout the room. Some sparred with each other, standing and rolling on the ground. Some worked out with moving mechanical heavy bags. Others lifted weights and ran on treadmills. They even used simulators, but one constant remained, everything was technologically advanced. The weights looked like bars with invisible plates. The treadmills came with visors to simulate outside jogging and the simulators had viewing screens so spectators could watch the occupant work.

The stench of human sweat filled the air and Jathen welcomed the familiar aromas. This was his type of place. He felt more at home in this room than he had anywhere so far in the city. Even with all the technology, it was still good old-fashioned blood, sweat and tears.

"So, is this your special form of training?" asked Jathen.

"Yes and no. These guys are all taking advantage of the latest techniques, but I'm not about to give out all our secrets."

"Fair enough," said Jathen, picking up a dumbbell and doing several curls.

Mr. Silvara showed them around the room. As they walked amongst the people, most stopped what they were doing to see the new face walking around with the president. Only several men kept at their workouts. Jathen noticed them and made a mental note of each one. Their concentration led him to believe that they were the top fighters.

Silvara stopped at one of the simulators. "This is the most popular device in the industry. It allows our fighters to train against a virtual opponent. It can simulate any style or any move a man can make. Take a look."

He pointed to the monitor above the door. It showed a man fighting a Brazilian jujitsu master. He was grappling on the ground with the virtual opponent.

"How is that possible? The opponent isn't actually real, correct?"

"Precisely. The opponent is computer generated. I know this is something completely new to someone like you, but try and follow me."

Silvara explained how the virtual simulation worked, how the suit made it possible to feel pressure in the right areas without putting the trainee in any sort of danger.

Jathen watched a few moments longer. "Can I try that?"

"Now?" asked Silvara.

"Sure. Right now. I'd like to try it out. Is that OK?"

Silvara looked at Murray and Murray shrugged his shoulders. "I don't see why not, let's see what you can do."

Jathen stepped into a changing room just outside of the virtual simulator where he changed into one of the black suits hanging on the wall. It felt silky smooth on the inside, while the outside was covered in a course, lined rubber material. Given a pair of visors that covered his eyes and ears, Jathen slipped them onto his head upon entering the small padded space that simulated a ring.

The operator's voice echoed out from above. "Welcome Jathen, my name is Davyde and I will be your operator this afternoon. I understand this is your first time in the simulator. It can be somewhat strange to someone who has never experienced it. What kind of training would you like to try?"

"Just put on the hardest, toughest opponent you have."

The operator laughed, "Let's not go there just yet. How about some Muay-Thai? Will that be OK?"

"Sure, whatever you like."

"OK, it's going to go dark for a moment while we synchronize. Please be patient."

The room went black and Jathen waited. He saw a small red flash out of the corner of his eye. Then, something began to materialize from the ground up. Tiny blocks began to appear scene around him. It only took but a few seconds until he found himself standing in a beautiful garden with a space cleared out in the center. He looked down at the grass he stood upon. The sun shined through the clouds above, and birds could be heard in the distance.

The scene felt almost peaceful, but something didn't seem quite right. As he began to look at the small details he noticed it wasn't quite like real life, it was only a mirage. Sure it looked good, but not totally real.

Another image began to materialize in front of him. After a moment of digital construction, Jathen found himself staring at a shirtless opponent dressed in red kick-boxing shorts, with athletic tape on his knuckles and shins and a red sweatband covering his hairless head.

Jathen stood motionless waiting. "What happens now?" He asked the air.

The opponent bowed, and then took a fighting stance. Jathen followed suit, interested to see what this computer-generated sparring partner would do. He let the digital figure attack, hitting Jathen in the chest with an elbow. The entire virtual atmosphere flashed red. The suit applied pressure where the attack landed, no pain, but the sensation felt strange, like a thump of pressure at the point of impact. Vastly different than an actual blow, but the red flash combined with the thumping pressure had a startling feeling that made him not want to take another.

He let another attack through, this time on his kidney as a kick landed with another red flash. The next time Jathen moved aside and the attack missed. He circled and feinted an attack of his own, and his opponent reacted to it. He jabbed slowly and watched the computer opponent block and counter, to which he did the same.

He continued his little dance with the digital Muay-Thai being, testing it in many ways. When he would land a punch, if it were clean, there was a small flash in the area he was hitting. He began to work up a sweat and he understood how this could be a good training simulator and a solid work out, but it was far from the real thing.

Once he had seen enough of what the program could do, he simply unleashed a combination of punches and kicks that the simulation had trouble keeping up with. There were four quick flashes and the digital figure crumpled to the ground. At least that part was accurate, he thought.

He finished the simulation and the lights went black, then he was back in the normal room.

"Nice job, Jathen," said the voice of Davyde.

Mr. Silvara and Murray waited for him as he exited the simulation room. "So what did you think, man? asked Murray. "Obviously you were toying with the program early on, but then you really opened up on him."

"Yeah, I can see how it lets you work on your technique, but it's no match for good old fashioned sparing."

"True, but the simulations are getting better all the time," Mr. Silvara said. "We anticipate that this will be the main form of training in the years to come. Once they have fully figured out how to use the suits to simulate actual contact, this thing will be special."

"Maybe... I'd like to mess around with it more sometime. I'm curious, Mr. Silvara, do they use something like this to train soldiers against the Ferals?"

"It's very similar. We don't have the Feral programs here—for obvious reasons,—but to answer your question, yes."

"Hmm, I had heard about this on the outside. Apparently, it's a way to give soldiers experience without harm, just as you use it to train. I have to say I have my doubts."

"I can't speak for the military, but it has its advantages here. Actually step over this way." He pointed to a large monitor. "You can see your performance right there—see what you're doing wrong, if anything."

Jathen watched his digital replay. He smiled as he watched himself toy with the digital Muay-Thai opponent.

They had better hope that Sky Canopy never fails. If these soldiers from the inside don't get better training than this, and they come up against a Feral war party...there won't be much left of them.

The three men finished the tour of the training facility and continued on to the arena. They stepped out of the lightvator back into the entranceway. The three sets of double doors had opened into the dark void of the arena beyond. Without lights, the darkness swallowed the area.

Murray left the room to turn on the lights, moments later the entire arena lit up with color and brightness. A digital screen similar to that of Sky Canopy covered the rafters above creating a bright, light-blue simulation sky. The arena, not entirely different from the dirt mound Jathen fought on outside, held many extra safety features he was unaccustomed to. There were padded floors all around the mound and a canvas material blanketed the raised section itself.

The surrounding areas filled the arena with tightly packed seats that tiered up and outward. Near the bottom of the rows, the seats had been removed and instead equipped with a thin rod that rose upward ending with a small camera-like contraption. Jathen assumed these seats were for the virtual spectators—where the real money was made.

"We've prepared a small show for you. Watch this, Jathen," said Murray over a loud speaker.

The lights dimmed and from above, a single sphere of light descended slowly toward the mound. Once it had lowered to about twenty feet above the surface, it separated into five separate spheres that began to spin horizontally. Then, each sphere tilted its axis and they all spun around each other faster and faster. The light from each got brighter and they began to close in. Soon they reconnected in a white-hot glowing ball of light. A spot light shot out from the bottom illuminating the entire mound. Music began to play loudly from all around. Jathen could feel it as much as he heard it. The glowing ball shot up into the ceiling and appeared as if it exploded as the canopy above burst into multi-colored fireworks. Digital sparks rained down to the seats below.

"Just picture yourself out there after a win. All the fans will be chanting your name. I want to see you become the next great thing," said Mr. Silvara.

I knew I was here to entertain people with my fighting skills... I didn't know I also get to be a rock star, thought Jathen, as he looked around at all the multi-colored lights.

After the personal show at the arena, they headed back to the conference room. All along the way, Mr. Silvara gave Jathen the hard sell. He told him how great it would be to have him; about all the money and fame he could gain even if he had to live outside. It was very enticing, but it still didn't accomplish his ultimate goal.

The table they had eaten lunch on had transformed into a full digital display. As they took their seats, the display broke into three smaller windows that settled in front of each person.

"Jathen, what we have in front of you, is the full contract. We would very much like you to join our team of combatants." He made a motion to the text-heavy digital document that had appeared in front of him. "All we need is a retina scan, your finger print and your signature."

Jathen didn't want to be too hasty. "Can I sleep on it over night? I'd also like to read through the full contract."

"Oh, but of course, I wouldn't have it any other way," said Silvara as he took out a small, thin five-by-six-inch card and placed it face down on top of the table in front of Jathen. When he picked it back up, the contract had transferred to the small card. "Here you go my friend, read through it and we'll see you in the morning." He handed Jathen the card and showed him how to navigate through the pages.

"I know this doesn't get you exactly what you want, Jathen, but trust me, this is a great substitute," he said with his salesman smile. "You'll still be able to live outside with your friends and family and visit us here on the inside occasionally. The money and fame alone will be worth it."

Jathen returned the gesture with his own sly, crooked smile, "who said anything about occasionally? I may sign on with you, but I still plan to find a way to live on the inside. Permanently."

26 Snow

After spending some time with Detective Turner, Snow wanted to get back to the station and go over some of the clues. She sat down at her desk and summoned Snowflake. "Hello, Snowflake, I need to go virtual. I want to take a look at the data we have collected so far on the Timburk/Huff case."

"Just a moment," said the familiar voice of Snowflake. "I am accessing the data base and setting up the session now."

Snow slipped on the virtual headgear and everything went black.

After a few quick flickers, a white room appeared. Snowflake's voice echoed from above. "Where should we begin?"

"Let see the residual replay from the crime scene investigation... both of them."

The apartment of Harrison Timburk began to build upward from the ground. Soon Snow found herself in the virtual room where the murder had occurred. She watched the scenes play out. Better rendered in the virtual world, the residual replay now contained the data from the E-squad scientists. As she watched the scene in motion, the blue electrical sword burned its way into Snow's mind. She watched the murder scene over and over.

Next, she watched the Huff murder scene, less impressive, but very similar. There had obviously been some kind of conversation before the electrical sword sprang to life, but there was no fighting back. Huff remained in his chair.

"Who are you? And what do you want., Mr. Hitman?" She asked the computer rendering.

"OK, Snowflake, I've seen enough. Please bring up the case specifics."

The crime scene disappeared and another virtual environment appeared. Snow found herself sitting at a desk in a quaint little office, with a homey atmosphere.

She began to let her mind flow freely. She waved her hands through the ghostly, holographic images mindlessly. In front of her—in the virtual world—multi-colored boxes floated in virtual space. Each represented a different part of the case. She reached out toward the blue box on the left. "Let start with the facts, we know that our target uses high tech weaponry. A super sword of sorts, and a vanishing act to follow."

She continued talking out loud; it helped her to think. "He moves quicker than a normal human, which leads us to believe he is an Ultra. According to the residual replay, he appears to have some skill with the blade, which means he has training. His equipment is highly advanced and his power source is unknown; he definitely has connections. This guy is more than a typical serial killer, his murders are pre-meditated." She bit on the end of her nail as she thought about the details of the killer.

"He didn't leave any hard evidence. No fingerprints, hair, DNA... nothing. To top that off, he is using some sort of identity-blocking devise. Something that is either obtained through the black market or—more likely—he or whoever outfitted him with his fancy toys provided the identity blocker as well. Snowflake, check all our databases for any of the known identity-blocking providers. We know Drake was one, so start there. I doubt we could be so lucky, but it can't hurt." In a matter of seconds a smaller box appeared near the blue box and Snow reached out to touch it. She scanned the data inside. "No help. She closed the boxes.

"Let's move on to our victims." She waved her hand in front of the red box. Two profiles popped up. "Mr. Timburk and Mr. Huff. What are your connections?"

She read through each profile and history. They were very general. No details that would help her. "Snowflake? Let me see the secure files on each."

A yellow hue rippled through the virtual room that let Snow know that she had entered a secure environment. Snowflake's voice echoed into the room. "Snow I am able to access these files, but I must first get verification from you."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I'm not used to doing this security hacking thing. I guess having E-squad access gives us an edge over the detective's office. The password is Element Two, Water."

"Access granted. Give me a few seconds to navigate the firewalls and security barriers," said Snowflake.

Snow sat back in her chair and relaxed for a moment. It had been a long day and she felt tired. She ran her hand through her spiked, black hair. I might need to get this mop trimmed up here soon.

A few minutes later, the red box in the center began to radiate with a yellow glow. Snow sat forward and waved her hand through the box. Many documents sprang up. She used hand motions to manipulate the data in front of her.

After spending a significant amount of time sifting through some inconsequential material, she found something of interest. It was an action request for several specific Ultras. Each served in the Border Wars. There were several people specifically picked out for an immediate, high-importance, confidential mission.

The individuals happened to be: Harrison Timburk, Michael (Granite) Jones and Jim Taylor.

"Timburk was an Ultra? That makes things much more interesting."

She felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as she read the document. She knew this was probably something she shouldn't be reading. Even with her heightened access as an E-Squader, this confidentiality entered another level. If she got caught with this information, she could be in a heap of trouble.

The document contained mission briefs. Apparently before Sky Canopy went online, someone had stolen the core and the three Ultras were sent to retrieve it. The mission had been stamped a success.

Snow sat back and thought to herself. Granite was involved with these guys more than he was letting on. He knows something for sure, but isn't letting us in. This has to be the connection between Timburk and Huff. Something happened on that mission, but even if that was the driving force, who is the murderer and how does he fit in? Is it this Taylor guy? Who is he?

Granite would never speak. If he had planned on telling anyone what he was thinking, he already would have.

She had a connection between the victims, but the killer remained anonymous. She inhaled a deep breath. Where do I go next?

She opened the white suspect box. It contained all of detective Turner's work. She swept it all asides with a motion of her hand. He was over his head on this one.

Was this all stemming from events that transpired before Sky Canopy began functioning? Was Sky Canopy itself going to play a part, as a piece of this case? There was always talk about disappearing scientists. Maybe they found out something they shouldn't have and the powers above took care of them. If her hunch was right, the missing scientist theory was her best bet.

"I want to base our case around any threats to Sky Canopy, we'll start there."

First off, there were the Apocalyptic; those crazies were always talking about bringing down the dome. Then there were the more straightforward religious factions. They preached about things through interpretations of the Bible, less in your face than the crazies, but still against the Canopy. Then there were the Outsiders; they didn't live under the protection of Sky Canopy, so there could obviously be some discontent there.

She leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms above her head. Eleven p.m. I need to pack this in for the night.

"Snowflake? My brain is just about out of gas. I need to get some sleep. Check through the files on the Apocalyptic. Look for any attempts they've made to destroy Sky Canopy. Also, Can you do a check for me on all visiting Outsiders for the last two months? I want to see if there are any possibilities for a suspect match. I'll check the data in the morning."

She felt as if she had made some headway. Nothing concrete, but finding the connection between the two victims gave her a good start. Granite obviously had a role in this whole thing. How should she approach that situation? Hopefully a solution would present itself.

27 Granite

The streets filled with swarms of people that moved like ants in and out of the many casinos that frequented the strip. Various-colored hair and extravagant digital clothing were a common sight. A man ducked under a street sign to keep his four-foot mohawk from scraping the bottom. Three women held hands while skipping down the sidewalk wearing short suggestive schoolgirl outfits. A young couple gazed at each other over a small table that sat on the patio of a small restaurant. Groups of single men and women prowled the streets looking for the chance to meet a willing member of the opposite sex, or the same in some cases.

The intricate themes of the casino buildings dominated the scene, but many more buildings of shops, stores and restaurants filled in the gaps. The strip clubs and virtual-sex parlors streamed with willing customers of men and women. Digital posters and vivid signs flashed in front of doors that led to darker places. The amusement park was hopping with business as the sights and sounds of screams and laughter filled the air. This was Lorain, entertainment capital of the city. Gambling, virtual reality, nightlife, adult entertainment and amusement park activities were abundant in this part of town.

Passing under the large head of a golden lion that covered the entrance to the Leo Casino, the large imposing figure of Granite walked down the crowded sidewalk. Many colors bounced off his dark coat as the light from hundreds of glowing digital signs illuminated the street. He stood a full head taller than most as he weaved his way through the heavy crowd.

Men approached trying to get his attention to buy whatever they were selling, but he ignored them with stone-cold concentration. A pretty, voluptuous woman bent over to show her cleavage as he passed the entrance to a strip club with not so much as a glance. He followed the sidewalk past the Rovel Restaurant, then past the Gladier Casino, then a virtual travel parlor. He didn't even turn his head to look at the long line that stretched outside the PR20 nightclub.

He entered a small alleyway and walked down toward a single blue door with a glowing sign that read 'The Little Bar.' The sides of the alley were filled with broken glass and plastic bottles. Cleaning of the alley appeared to be well overdue. Several garbage pails with overflowing bags and a host of buzzing flies sat outside of the beaten old doors of the alley's buildings. Long shadows shifted continuously on the alley walls as people passed by at the other end of the alley.

He opened the door to the bar and let it close softly behind him. His black trench coat and matching hat covered his identity well. He looked like a mobster from the 1950's. People were used to seeing just about anything in this section of the city, and his attire fit in flawlessly. His entrance was unnoticed as he surveyed the room. He navigated around several columns that supported the ceiling and headed toward the back of the room.

A loud band played old rock and roll songs on the right side of the cramped room. They barely fit into the corner space they were given to play. No one paid any attention to them as the singer belted out his off-tune lyrics. The room was long and narrow. A bar stretched down the length, using up most of the space, with sporadic customers spaced out along it.

Granite reached a table near the back of the room, where a man with long, greasy graying hair sat by himself. He wore a worn-out gray digital shirt with black lettering that read, 'who gives a shit!!'

Several empty bottles littered the table. He lifted yet another to his lips and took a long pull of the golden liquid inside.

The man at the table didn't look up, but said, "It's been a long time, Mr. law-enforcement man."

Granite stood with his hands in his trench coat pockets in front of the table. "Long time indeed," he replied.

The greasy man had a rough voice, years of drinking and smoking had obviously taken its toll. "I heard about Timburk. Is that why you're here? Because if you're here to try and get me to join that stupid team of yours again... you still know the answer."

"Came to warn you."

"You can read, right?" The man sat back in his chair. "My shirt can tell you what I think about that."

Granite knew what to expect from his old war mate. He had become a drunk in the years since the war. Granite didn't care about how he chose to spend his life, but he did need to warn him. "I think it's the kid, all grown up now. He's coming for vengeance. Thought you should know."

The man thought about what Granite had said for a moment. "The kid from the farm, all those years ago? Can't be... I don't know how he could have survived. I saw him running into the mouth of that Feral war band. They should have torn him apart. Hell, I thought I was a goner until you guys showed up." He took another gulp of beer. "You know what, if he did survive... and he's coming for vengeance... Good for him. He deserves it. Me.... I'll be right here waiting for him."

"Maybe you should lay off the booze for a bit."

"What for? Do you think I plan to fight? I don't give a rat's ass anymore—"

"That's obvious." Granite picked up one of the empty bottles and looked at the label. "What happened to you, Taylor? You had so much promise. Could have been a big part of our team."

"You can never stop about that team shit. I had enough during the war. I saw more death and destruction than I ever care to see again. That little mission of ours was the icing on the cake. Not everyone can shut out the effects of war like you, Mike. I may have the ability to track people down, but I can't shut away the horrors I saw like you. I see shit in my sleep every damn night. Sometimes I don't know who is worse: the Ferals, or us."

He lifted the bottle to his lips and finished its contents in one gulp. Some of the beer ran down the side of his mouth. When he reached up to wipe the drip, Granite glanced at what was left of his hand. Only the thumb and index finger remained.

"My goal is to surround myself in booze, tits and ass until I check out."

"Looks like you're on your way," said Granite in his typical monotone voice, as he softly set the bottle back onto the table. "If you're going to be around pretty girls, do them a favor and take a bath or something. You stink." He turned to leave.

"You're a real piece of work, Mike. You come in here all high and mighty. Telling me to clean up my act. That someone is coming to kill me..." He slammed his hand with the missing fingers onto the table, causing the bottles to rattle loudly. "I died a long time ago, back there on the fuckn' farm. I've never been the same since. I don't have a problem killing Ferals, but what we did was just wrong."

"We did what we had to. We carried out our orders." Granite fixed Taylor with his stony stare.

"Fucked up orders. I was too young and stupid or I would have shot that asshole Timburk myself. Instead I let him boss me around. Do shit I didn't want to do. I had a little brother, Mike. He was my best friend. He died while I was out there with you two jerks. Murdered. Sometimes I think it must have been my punishment... for what I did."

Granite stared back at him silently.

"I know. You don't care," said Taylor. "Sometimes, I wish I were like you. You can shut it all out." Taylor looked at the table and absentmindedly spun the bottom of his empty beer bottle on the table. "Nah. I don't think I do want to be like you. You can never love anyone. At least I was able to experience that once in my life."

Granite turned and started to head toward the door.

"Hey, Mike?" called Taylor.

Granite stopped with his back facing the broken man at the table. He turned his head to listen.

"Thanks. For the warning."

Granite nodded and walked away.

Taylor had made his choice many years ago. Like he said, he was already dead. But, he sure would make good bait.

28 Dark Ninja

The dark ninja sat on the top of a tall building. It provided him with a clear view of the Little Bar entrance below. He waited patiently for the late night hours to arrive. He knew his next target would stay in the bar until he could barely stand. The place would have to kick him out at closing time. The closer to closing time, the better—less people to be around, thought the man in the shadows.

He studied his surroundings as he waited. The streets were crowded, the noise level astoundingly high, and colored lights flashed everywhere. Not far behind him was a large rollercoaster, which sped by every few minutes. His years of training had helped him to stay focused, but this part of the city unnerved him. Where he came from, there was nothing like this. He had heard many stories about the inside of the city, how much different it was from the outside. Now he realized how true the stories were as he experienced the vivid atmosphere of color and movement first hand.

He sat in a relaxed position, almost meditational. Waiting. He allowed himself to think back to when he was a child, the day he met the doctor from the inside. The doctor told him he was special. He remembered it like it was yesterday. It set forth a chain of events that changed his life forever.

The boy they called Raiden was an adult now and much had changed since that day. He was here for a reason. He was here for vengeance.

As the night waded on, most of the crowded streets had calmed down with just a few stragglers left wandering about. The dark ninja emerged from the shadows and made his way toward the Little Bar entrance. He silently opened the door and slid inside.

Mostly silent, with only a handful of patrons, the dark, gloomy bar was ready to close. A space had been cleared away for a band that had long since packed up and left and most of the tables sat vacant. The bartender cleaned a few glasses behind the bar, watching a young couple being more than friendly at a booth. The man named Taylor sat in his usual spot near the back sulking in his booze.

The dark ninja walked toward the back of the room ever so quietly. The bartender looked up from his nightly cleaning. "Hey, Fella, didn't hear you come in," he said "Sorry, but we're closing. There's a place up the road that's open after hours."

The dark ninja replied. "Thank you, but I won't be here long, I just need to... speak to the man in the back over there." He pointed at Taylor.

"Him? That old drunk isn't worth your time. Do me a favor and get rid of him for me."

"Oh, I certainly intend on doing that," said the dark ninja as he strolled toward Taylor.

Taylor's arms were crossed loosely on the table around his golden-yellow drink. His head was bowed down deep, as if he was sleeping at the table—or passed out. The dark ninja silently approached and stood motionless in front of him.

Taylor must have known someone was there. He began to speak in a low, slurred voice. "Wondered when you'd be coming by. They warned me about you. Said you'd be coming after me. So is it true? Is it really you? The kid from the farm?"

"Yes," the dark ninja said. "It is true."

"Hmm, just how'd you get away from the Ferals? I chased you into those woods and saw you run righ' into the mouth of that Feral war party?"

"They did not harm me."

Taylor lethargically shook his head. "Nah, I don' buy it. Never seen any human not get ripped to shreds when they were around." He ran his hand through his greasy hair with a quick motion that sent him off balance. His chair tipped back and crashed into the wall, where he stayed with his head leaning back.

"Believe what you want. No matter the case, I am still here, standing in front of you. I have come for what is rightfully mine, and you must pay for what you were a part of."

With his eyes closed as if he were asleep, silence ensued, and then Taylor spoke again. "I guess I don' care how it's possible, and I suppose you're right. We did some terrible things. I may be an old, good for noth'n drunk, but I'll accept my fate for things I was a part of. I've had enough of this goddamn shit-hole world anyways. I outta thank you... for freeing me."

The dark ninja picked up a chair and lightly set it to the side. "If that is how you view it, so be it. Your fate is the same nonetheless. But, I do have questions for you."

Taylor simply raised his hand as if to say continue.

The dark ninja drew in a deep breath. "After what you have done, do you consider yourself to be a good man?"

"Hmm, interesting question." He tipped his chair forward and landed squarely back on four legs with a thud. "One I've been asking myself for years and years. I guess the reason why I drown myself in booze every night, is to forget just that... to forget that I was a terrible human being. The war really fucked me up good. I'm sorry for what you had to witness.

"I think I was trying to do the right thing—which was help end the war. Things just got out of hand. All that happened was, we succeeded in dooming ourselves to this cave, and killing everything else. I wanted to be better than I turned out. I just didn't have the will power or something." His eyes become watery. "So go ahead and do what you came to do. I'm ready." He sniffled and clumsily wiped a watery eye.

"One more question... When I finish what I have come to do, what do you believe will happen to you?

Taylor looked at the floor, his long, grey bangs hung downward. "Strange question." He hiccupped. "You asking me if I believe in God?"

The dark ninja considered his answer. "In a roundabout way, yes, but not exactly. It's not if you believe in a supreme being, just what you believe happens when you die."

Taylor looked off into space. "I was brought up as a kid in a religious family. That seems like so long ago. I got away from religion. As I saw all the awful things in this world, I thought that there was no chance that God existed. If he did, why would he allow all this to happen? But, maybe it's not that at all, maybe the other side—the evil one, maybe he's in control for now."

He took a swig of his drink and swayed back in his chair again. "Hell, I don't know. I want to believe that I get a chance to redeem myself. Reincarnation, you know. I like that. That sounds good. But, ultimately I believe that there is something, I don't know what, but hopefully I get some kind of chance. If there is some kind of God... he knows that I feel like shit for what happened. I'm sorry kid." He wiped yet another tear from his face. "Ah crap, now I'm just a babbling drunk. What did you ask me these crazy-ass questions for anyway?"

"I seek to understand why men do the things they do, what drives them, what they believe. It falls back to my mother, on her beliefs, and what she taught me. Now I seek to understand all angles of beliefs, especially from those that have caused me so much sorrow. That being said, I respect your answer, and because of that I will grant you one final request."

Taylor finally looked up at his death bringer. "Just let me finish my drink, that's all I ask." He lifted his glass and took a long swig of the golden-yellow beer that now fell under half full.

Just then, a loud voice echoed out from the street. "THIS IS THE POLICE. WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED. EVERYONE COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP."

The couple in the corner sprang up from the booth. They looked around to see what was happening. Quickly, they headed for the exit with their arms raised.

The bartender realized that the dark ninja was who they must be after. "Oh shit, it's you ain't it? You're the guy they been talking about, the guy who killed Huff. Take what you want man." He ran for the door and yelled that he was unarmed, slinking out the door with his hands raised.

Taylor sat and waited. The dark ninja turned toward the door and took several steps in that direction. Three SWAT team policemen burst through the door and spread out. One took the lead position and another moved behind a table. The third sprinted behind the bar to get a flanking position. A loud bang introduced two more emerging from the back, sealing off any escape routes. The dark ninja stood motionless several steps away from Taylor.

Taylor lifted his glass and laughed to himself. "Looks like I'll have to spend some more time on this mud ball after all." He tipped the glass into his mouth and emptied it in a single gulp. As he brought the glass down from his mouth, the dark ninja sprung forward and his electric sword sparked to life. In a quick downward motion, he split Taylor's head in two, before the glass even hit the table. His movement was so quick that the SWAT team couldn't react fast enough.

"SHIT." One of them yelled. "Stop! Stop right there. Don't fucking move!"

The dim light danced off the shiny black armor of the dark ninja as he lifted his arms into the air. His sword had been sheathed and he looked as if he was surrendering. Then there was a loud deep bass sound. The SWAT team didn't know what to make of it, and one of them fired three shots directly at the dark ninja. The bullets landed harmlessly into the back wall—the dark ninja had vanished.

He reappeared on the top of the roof. The loud bass sound had been used to create a seismic image, a form of sonar to help him see what was out of sight, so that he would not teleport into something solid.

He didn't want to do what came next. He knew there were three more policemen on the roof, and he had to face them. There was no other alternative.

The dark ninja hesitated not wanting to engage the innocent policemen. They however did not, noticing his presence, they each fired. One shot found its mark and hit him on the upper back. A circular pod protruding from his backpack sent a jolt through his body. The force of the shot knocked him forward and down to one knee. He could feel its effect immediately, paralyzing him.

The three policemen cautiously moved toward him. He struggled to draw his sword from its sheath, but another pod hit his arm, dropping him closer to the ground. They slowly moved in and surrounded him, standing above, guns drawn.

One of the officers spoke into an arm communication device. "We have him, sir. He's been taken down with paralyzers."

A voice responded through the policeman's arm-com. "Hold tight, I'm on my way."

Seconds later, a large form rose up from the side of the building, a man wearing menacing, heavy grey armor, with yellow highlights. His jet pack shut off just as he touched down on the roof.

He walked forward and his broad form cast a long shadow over the kneeling dark ninja. "Good job, gentlemen," he told his men.

He looked down at the ninja clad figure kneeling on the ground. "Your quest for vengeance ends here."

The dark ninja stubbornly raised his shiny faceplate to look at the man named Granite. "You cannot stop me. You can try, but I will prevail."

"Doesn't look like you're doing too well at the moment," said Granite in a deep, monotone voice.

"You've done nothing more than put your men in danger," said the dark ninja as he strained to keep his head up.

Granite ignored the comment. "Keep the paralyzers on him, call the others up to the roof and escort him to the station."

When Granite moved off to the edge of the building to report, the dark ninja knew he had to act quickly or it would be too late. He strained with all his might against the paralyzer pods. They began to buzz and smoke. Suddenly, with a loud pop, they exploded.

His electric sword sprang to life and in one quick motion, he became a whirling angel of death, making the first policeman's arms considerably shorter. He continued fluidly, spinning toward the next officer. The sword found its mark as the policeman's head fell to the ground with a thud. The third man's life ended as the blade sliced into his chest. The dark ninja finished his attack and readied himself for Granite.

Granite turned to face him. He didn't react. He stood perfectly still as a flashing neon light reflected off his body armor from a street sign above. Sounds rose from the street below and the roller coaster zipped by behind them. The air felt thick and lights danced in the hazy background.

The dark ninja spoke, "This is not how I planned this. But if we must meet here and now, then so be it. Before we clash I have a question to ask—"

Granite rushed across the roof. The battle hardened, fierce warrior rumbled forward like a freight train. The dark ninja moved quickly to his left and avoided having his head pulverized by Granite's Quake Hammer. The second blow rushed toward his mid section, but the dark ninja parried the blow with his sword.

Again and again Granite attacked. The dark ninja could do nothing but react to the onslaught of hammer blows. They came from every angle and the dark ninja quickly lost ground.

In a last ditch effort, he charged his sword with electrical power, hoping to damage the deadly war hammers. Normally his weapon could split steel in half, but when it connected with the Quake Hammer, a shower of sparks erupted outward and the sword deflected harmlessly.

The dark ninja had expected Granite's hammer to be ruined, but to his dismay the sleek metal stayed fully intact. Another blow rushed at him and he parried again with another shower of sparks, his superior speed beginning to give way.

Granite was too good. The battle hardened veteran knew how to fight. As the sparks flew, the blows continued. With each attack Granite inched closer to breaking the dark ninja's defense.

Then, with one narrowly missed parry, a quake hammer blow crashed home. It connected into the armored side of the dark ninja, sending a violent shaft of pain down the right side of his body, flinging him some fifteen feet in the air where he landed near the edge of the roof.

Dazed, he rose slowly to his feet. Granite was already moving forward, set to push the attack and finish him off. Fighting threw the excruciating pain; the dark ninja raised his arms and pointed one at a distant building. He summoned enough power to ignite the white light from his left arm. Just as Granite swung his hammer, the dark ninja vanished.

He reappeared on the distant building and immediately clutched at his side. He looked back over the expanse of rooftops between them, and he could see Granite standing like a stone knight, peering back at him. He had underestimated the battle-hardened warrior and it nearly cost him his life. He would meet Granite again, it was inevitable, but he first needed to take the next step of his mission.

He turned and gently raised his arms as another spasm of pain shot down his side. He teleported again to another roof top, putting as much distance between himself and Granite as possible. Then he changed his direction and headed toward the Sky Canopy generator.

Fresh off his defeat at the hands of the mighty warrior, he could not help but feel as if he had failed, yet he knew he could not fail at his second goal. He could hear his master's voice in his head. 'Do not be disheartened, you will have another chance to face your foe. Remember and learn from your mistakes. You need not win every battle to win the war.'

He forced himself to refocus on his next objective. He needed to finish what his family had failed to do so many years ago. The second reason he had come to the mega city of Cleveland, to shut down the vast power source of the Sky Canopy generator.

He teleported from roof top to roof top. As he approached the ominous structure, the lights grew brighter—the grounds of the building were lit like daytime. He appeared near the back of the structure and melted into the shadows. Moving silently along the long, dark patch of shadows, he navigated to a precise spot at the back of the building and readied himself for teleportation. The security system and the guards would be on high alert, but they had no idea what they were about to face.

29 Granite

Granite's body began to slowly revert back to a normal state. He had turned the switch off and stopped the flow of pure adrenaline that coursed through his body during the fight with the dark ninja. It always took a few minutes to calm down from a rush like that.

He had no emotional feeling toward the outcome of the fight, he wouldn't allow himself to get mad. But his powers didn't stop his brain from working and he knew he had blown his chance. He should have been able to take down the ninja. The man had obviously been trained and he had skill, but Granite was an experienced warrior.

Maybe it had been to long since he had fought a worthy foe, or maybe it was simply old age. No matter, his hand had been dealt, the ninja escaped and his trap had misfired.

He showed no sign of the change in his energy level as he strode back toward the remains of his team, but he could certainly feel it. His unique ability allowed him to suppress emotions and fuel his body with adrenaline, but it always took its toll. As he had gotten older it seemed to take longer to recover each time he pumped himself up for a fight.

Granite looked at the bodies of his fallen team. He shook his head, this wasn't going to look good on his report. It had been a long time since he lost a man on the job. He didn't feel any remorse, but he still knew right from wrong. He should have taken down the ninja for good while he was paralyzed.

He expected he would see a similar sight down in the bar. He was sure Taylor had been killed. Another death that should have been avoided. He could have saved his old comrade if his timing had been better, but he failed to do that also. Maybe Taylor was finally at peace. Granite at least hoped so. He didn't know what it was like to have demons like Taylors'. You can rest now, old friend.

Granite figured Snow had already suspected he had a connection with the dark ninja. He wasn't going to come out and say it. If she figured it out...so be it. He had hoped to avoid that situation, but that opportunity had been missed. Maybe he should bring his other E-Squad teammates up to speed. Get this thing over with. Or... maybe not just yet. There was still a chance he could finish the job on his own.

With Taylor killed joining Timburk and Huff, that left only himself. He guessed it was only a matter of time before he would face the dark ninja again. Until then he would prepare himself with every piece of information he could find. He wouldn't fail again.

30 Dark Ninja

He teleported to a ledge on the second level—a place no normal human could reach. His reconnaissance had been invaluable; he was able to map out large parts of the building that gave him the Intel he needed to get inside. With a simple switch of his visor's viewing screen, he could literally see the inside floor plan. Once he found the safe spot from his Intel, he teleported inside, wincing in pain as he crouched into a shadowed area out of site of the cameras.

His special suit kept him invisible from heat and motion sensors and allowed him to move within the complex facility, but he wasn't invisible to the guards. He phased from room to room, carefully heading toward the core of the generator, all the while feeling the throbbing sensation from his wound. It took time to navigate the immense building and avoid all the security, but his patience and due diligence served him well. He avoided any and all conflicts with the guards taking special care to stay hidden. He didn't want to engage anyone unnecessarily.

He arrived near the heart of the facility, just outside it in the adjacent room. He switched his visor to thermal view and surveyed his surroundings. He needed to get past the heavy double doors that led to the Core Containment Center, but two guards stood at attention outside the doors. He could not get by them undetected.

He took a deep breath and felt a sharp pain in his side. He steadied himself and focused on the task at hand.

Red text began to scroll across the inside of his visor, displaying the weapons the guards possessed and their state of emotion—they both appeared relaxed. But none of that mattered, because he had the element of surprise, and that was all he needed.

Pressing his hand against his wound he took another deep breath and aimed his arm at his destination. With a flash, his position changed and he phased into the room with the double doors. Appearing in stance with his sword tilted laterally, the dark ninja cut down his opponent before he knew what hit him. The next guard was so surprised he barely had time to blink before the crackling blue lightning blade ripped into his chest, leaving him slumped forward on the ground.

The dark ninja surveyed the room, and then proceeded toward the double doors. There was a spot just to the right with a small opening. He moved near it and bent over slightly to allow his faceplate to be positioned in front of the opening. A scanner beam snapped on and swept across his face plate. Everywhere the light fell a high-resolution digital hologram of a man's face appeared. The light scanned the eyes and facial structure of the digital hologram on the face shield, then changed to light-blue and scanned the skeletal features of the skull—the hologram changed accordingly.

The digital holographic face appeared to be Dr. Stephen Mirren, the late inventor of the core technology. The doctor had placed a fail-safe so that he alone always had access to the room. The face shield provided a special key. The technology of the face shield was more advanced than the security system itself, allowing the dark ninja entrance into the room beyond even if the security access had been changed. The double doors released with a hiss and slowly swung open.

Relatively small compared to the rest of the facility, the Core Containment Center room had a yellowish-white fluorescent glow to it, yet it seemed darker than it should be. Holographic computer displays with various graphical status readings were positioned on both the left and the right. The center of the room contained a large white ring embedded in the floor that pulsed with light. A long, clear tubular structure rose from the floor ring and reached to the ceiling. Within the clear walls were two silvery circular fixtures that tapered toward the center like a stalactite and stalagmite column.

In the center, suspended between the two larger columns, was a smaller cylinder about twelve inches long. It also tapered slightly in the center. Covered with intricate black circuit lines, the shiny object with its slightly blue hue looked holy in appearance. A thin bright white light surrounded the cylinder giving it a halo effect similar to an eclipse.

There it was after all these years... the core. Peculiar though, the light seemed to dissipate and the area around it appeared darker than the rest of the room.

The dark ninja placed his gloved hand on a smooth black palm reader next to the center case. It read the digital imprint of Dr. Mirren's hand on his glove, and the door released. He quickly reached inside and grabbed the core. Then everything went black.

The dark ninja found himself laying on the ground. He held the core in his hand and he felt light headed. Some sort of feedback had caused him to black out when he grabbed the cylinder. He looked around the room to see what had happened. He expected the whole thing to shut down, but it didn't. Everything appeared to be functioning normally. He looked at the Hologram screens and all the graphs appeared to be at full operation. Strange, he thought. He had removed the core—the key to the whole generator—yet nothing happened.

He looked at the space where the core had been. The light still appeared to dissipate and now a shimmering effect replaced the area where the core had been. The generator must be operating without the core. The dark ninja was perplexed. He couldn't understand how this was possible.

He briefly considered using his sword, then thought better of it. He remembered being told to be careful—the generator could not be destroyed. It needed to be stopped. He was told that if he pulled away the core, the operation of the huge energy siphon would stop. But that didn't happen. He didn't want to overload the system and turn the whole thing into the largest bomb ever created. This was beyond what he could do. He had done what he could and he needed help.

He stuffed the core into his side nap-sack, teleported out of the room and fled from the scene.

31 Snow & Jathen

"This is Sports Live I am Cynthia Suns and we would like to welcome you to the show," said the woman with the bright yellow skirt and the frilly white blouse. "We have a special guest this morning, the newest member of the city, Mr. Jathen Fields. If you're a sports fan, you may recognize him. He is the outside sensation who made a name for himself with his exceptional fighting skills. His accomplishments happened to get him noticed by a certain company here on the inside. Now we are all going to have the chance to see him fight for the AG Fighting Association. Welcome, Jathen. How does it feel to have such an opportunity?"

"Well, it's not happening quickly, I'm not due back into the city for another month and a half. But yeah, it feels great. I'm looking forward to making a name for myself right here inside Cleveland. I'm obviously still an outsider, but I'll get another chance to come in and train before the fight."

"We're all very excited to see more of your fighting skills. The MMA enthusiasts are ecstatic."

The newscaster smiled and tucked her long brown hair with the golden highlights behind one ear. "So... tell us a little about yourself."

"What's there to tell? I'm from the outside and I'm good at kicking ass— Oh, sorry. Am I aloud to say that?"

"You're OK, Jathen. We're an uncensored station, so you can say whatever you like. We know you can kick ass, but have you ever had to fight a Feral?

Jathen looked down at the ground and smirked. "You insiders always ask that same question." He paused, then continued. "Sure, I've had contact with them. I was born and raised outside. It kind of comes with the surroundings. Let's just say they're not quite as nice as you, Mrs. Suns. And certainly not as pretty."

The woman blushed slightly. "Well, thank you. But, what we want to know is if you have ever fought them?"

"Yeah, I've had a run-in or two with them. As you can see I'm still here, so you can guess the outcome."

"Very impressive. Has your confrontations with the monsters helped you to get where you are?"

"Yes and no. Fighting on the mound is somewhat different. There are rules when you fight on the mound. Fighting a Feral is fighting for your life." He looked very serious into the camera. " Anything goes when you're faced with death. I'm here because I survived. Fighting on the mound is different because I had to learn how to fight within the system."

"...And apparently you have fared well in that department. We know you have had all your fights on the outside, but how do you think you will do against some of these seasoned fighters here in the city?"

"I expect to win... as always. Can't wait to show everyone what I can do. Get ready everyone, if you don't know me now, you will soon. I plan to show you things you've never seen before."

"That's very confident, considering some of the talent in the association. I'm sure you'll meet some tough competition," she teased.

"I'm confident, because I'm the best."

"Well, we're looking forward to finding out. When can we look to see you in action?"

"It's going to be a little while. Like I said before, it's about two months. An exact date hasn't been set."

"We look forward to finding out when that first fight will happen." She turned back to the camera. "We will keep you all posted on Jathen's first fight. Jathen, thank you so much, and good luck in your next fight. We look forward to seeing you again real soon. This is Cynthia Suns for Sports Live, and we will be back right after these words."

Cynthia lowered her microphone. "Hopefully that will get broadcast. Did you guys say we are still having problems?"

*****

Snow arrived at her desk earlier than normal, eager to find out what kind of information Snowflake had dug up overnight.

"What have you found on the Timburk case Snowflake?"

"I am sorry Snow, I was unable to complete the research. At precisely three fifteen a.m., my data research was halted. There appears to be some interference. Reports are coming in all over the city. We are experiencing spikes in energy flow both high and low. It is causing the electromagnetic force that powers the vehicles to act irregular and communication failures are abundant."

"Where and how is that possible?" asked Snow.

"Reports are saying that it is a large storm on the outside. I have tried to dig deeper, but even with my heightened security clearance, I can't get any more information."

"Great," said Snow sarcastically. "Well, what did you find before the interruption?"

"There are at least thirty-five Outsiders presently in the city. Of those I have ruled out seventeen, but as I said, my research was halted. I am currently trying to re-route. As soon as I have more information, I will update you immediately."

"OK. Well, I was thinking maybe I should go talk to the witness of the Timburk murder. Maybe I can get something from her. Keep trying and let me know if you find anything useful." Well that didn't help much. Maybe the witness will give me something I can use.

Snow arrived at the apartment of Jillian Johanski—the witness of the Harrison Timburk murder—at seven forty-five a.m. She pressed the door-monitor button and waited. A girl's face popped up on the screen. "Yes, who is it?"

"Hello Jillian, my name is Snow. I am from E-squad and I would like to ask you a few questions. May I come in?"

Snow waited for the girl to respond, but there was only silence. "Hello? Jillian? Are you there?"

"Umm, did you say you are from E-Squad and your name is Snow? Is this some kind of a joke?"

"I assure you this is not a joke, Mrs. Johanski. I am truly from E-Squad." She had expected this uncertainty and wore her stark-white combat outfit. She lifted an intricate metal badge with a digital picture of herself. Embossed with the words E-Squad, the shiny brass metal with its digital projections would be hard to duplicate.

Less than enthusiastic Jillian said, "OK. I hope you are who you say you are. And just so you know, I've already been cleared by the police." She opened the door and let Snow in.

"Thank you for speaking with me; I'm sure this has been difficult for you. You're not in any trouble, I just have a few questions." She extended her hand for Jillian to shake.

Jillian grasped her hand and quickly pulled back. "Oh wow. Your hand is really cold, like ice. I guess maybe you are real."

She motioned for Snow to sit down on the couch. The apartment was commonly decorated, small, but clean. A brown couch covered the majority of the wall, which faced a digital screen with a local news program.

"So what can I do for you, Agent Snow?"

Snow was careful with her tone of voice, keeping very calm. "I would like to ask you about the other night. First, how well did you know Mr. Timburk?"

Jillian bit the bottom of her lip nervously. "I had only just met him that evening. He was at the restaurant where I work. He seemed nice enough and he wasn't bad looking. He was interested in me and I found it flattering coming from a guy in his position. I kind of knew who he was and thought maybe I'd give it a shot and see what happened. I mean I'm not the first girl who's had dreams of being whisked off her feet by some rich guy and taken to a better life."

"I understand. Please tell me what happened next," she said in a soothing tone.

"He waited until I got off and then he took me back to his place. We were in his bedroom and I wanted to freshen up before... you know. He went into the kitchen to get some drinks or something. I waited for him for a few minutes then decided to go and get him. I was so stupid... I didn't put on any clothes... I wanted to surprise him.

"When I entered the room, I saw this scary ninja-looking guy standing there with Harrison. It was really creepy. I couldn't see him very well, but he had blue glowing eyes in a shiny mask. When Harrison told me I should leave—I just freaked and ran for the door."

She began to cry. "I went down the stairs and tried to get out the back way, so no one would see me," she sniffled and wiped away a tear. "When I got outside.... There were these guys there...and they saw me with no clothes on..." She stopped to gather herself.

Snow waited patiently for the girl to continue. "It's OK, Jillian. Can you continue?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. "They said some bad things and grabbed me. I fought them, but I was hit hard and it's kind of blurry from there. The next thing I remember was the ninja guy cutting the men up... I didn't care.... Those fuckers! He killed them and I didn't care!"

"Did you see him?" asked Snow.

"Not really, he was a wearing black, I don't know, armor. Not quite like military, ancient looking I guess. He was fast, and used a laser sword. The men didn't stand a chance. He stood and looked at me for a second after he finished, he was the same guy from upstairs—with those blue eyes. I didn't know what he was going to do, but he left."

Snow felt satisfied with the account of what happened, it matched what CSI came up with and she already had a description of the murderer. "What did you and Mr. Timburk talk about?"

"He mostly joked around with me and said nice things. I knew what he was after. The conversation was more flirty than anything."

"Did he seem stressed about anything?"

"Not at all, almost the opposite."

"Did you notice him talking to anyone?"

Jillian blew her nose into a tissue and stuffed it into her pocket. "Like I said, he waited at the bar until I got off. He talked to the bartender, I saw him talking to several other customers."

"Anything seem argumentative?"

She looked at the digital monitor and thought about it for a minute. Just as the interview with Jathen Fields was on the screen... "You know, he was drinking and I didn't think anything of it, but I think he may have had sort of a heated discussion with this one guy." She pointed to the screen. It flickered and the picture went out then faded back. "The guy on the monitor there, um... Fields, the fighter guy."

Snow looked at the screen and her heart skipped a beat.

Jillian continued. "Now that I think of it, some of my coworkers were excited he was there. I don't follow that stuff much, but I guess Harrison must have. I remember them talking and it was the only point of the night that Harrison didn't give his complete attention to me when I came around."

Snow watched the screen for a minute longer. Then she quickly tapped into her communication network. "Snowflake, I need a location check on a Jathen Fields."

There was a moment pause, and then the soft voice of snowflake responded. "He is in town to finalize a contract with the AG Fighting Association. He was staying at the Islasin Hotel and checked out this morning. He is currently in route to the security checkpoint to leave the city."

"Is he one of the Outsiders on your list?"

"He is one of the suspects, yes."

Snow jumped up from the couch. "Thank you so much Jillian. I think you have given us a lead." She rushed out the door and down to her electro-bike.

*****

Jathen Fields waited in line at the security checkpoint. There were several people in front of him waiting to approach the counter. The power outages had caused mass confusion with the process. He watched the lady behind the counter move around frantically trying to keep up with the flow of people.

He looked past the counter to where a thermal scan confirmed identification. There were digital signs that went over the process of exiting the city. He read the signs and followed the instructions to remove all items from his pockets. He placed them on a tray and continued through a doorway.

In the next room two different types of scanners searched for illegal or suspicious activity. After that, a long tunnel led to the decompression room. He remembered the process from when he came inside. Decompression must be the thing where my ears popped. That kind of sucked. After the decompression, he just needed to find his seat on the train. Pretty simple.

Jathen stood calmly at the counter while being scanned by the clerk. "Thank you for visiting us, Mr. Fields. We'll see you again real soon," said the red-haired woman behind the counter. She recognizes me. That's cool. Maybe I'll look her up on the way back in. She's kind of cute.

"Thank you, I'm looking forward to it." He replied with a smile.

Walking toward the tunnel, he heard a horn and he turned to see a large cargo car approaching to the right. He could see that it held the much-needed supplies that were headed to the towns of the Outsiders. He watched it pass, looking at all the marked boxes of medical and food supplies. There are some important things on that cargo shipment. Take care of the load, Mr. Driver guy.

*****

Snow rushed out of the building and hopped on her Electro-Bike. She raised her hand and her finger appeared to glow as it connected with the holo-interface on her visor. She reached out and touched a ghosted spot of a virtual button. A small hologram of Granite's face materialized in front of her.

"Granite, this is Snow, I think I have a lead. His name is Jathen Fields. He fits the description of the killer: he's a martial artist, he appears to be skilled beyond a normal person, possibly an Ultra, and he had a verbal spout with Timburk the night before. I'm on my way now to stop him from leaving the city. I hope I have time to get to him before he's out of jurisdiction."

Granite's voice responded. "Thanks for the update. Keep us posted."

The bike hummed to life and Snow blindly swerved onto the silvery street.

The sleek bike, with blue and white stripes, and vents that stretched down the side, vaguely resembled some of the other egg-shaped vehicles in the city. The special E-squad-issued bike purred like a cat as Snow flew over the electro-magnetic hubs that pulled it along.

She zipped through the crowded streets and narrowly avoided a wreck as a woman changed lanes in front of her. The bike responded to her every move like an extension of her own body. She slid past on the right edge of the street and leaned in as the bike turned to take a corner.

Damn it, these streets are way too congested. I have to find a quicker path. "Snowflake, can you find me an alternative route to the highway?" Nothing. "Hello? Snowflake?"

"Sorry, Snow. The interference is causing some problems. I will upload the new route... Now."

Snow saw a green marker in her visor telling her where to turn. She cut down the side road and quickly picked up speed on the near-empty street, reaching the end in a rush. She slowed just a bit to take another turn and charged ahead toward the high-speed highway.

She entered the ramp and accelerated, the bike left the ground momentarily as she flew off the ramp and onto the bright silvery freeway. Within seconds she was a blur. She streaked by the other vehicles on the far right side of the highway using the emergency lane.

The horrible, erratic traffic had caused the flow to nearly stop. Lucky for Snow the right lane stayed open. At speeds that shouldn't be reached by a vehicle on the ground, the bike carried her toward the lift ramp. The freeway lifted into the air and Snow felt her stomach drop as she hurtled upward. She had never gone this fast before, the bike felt literally like a rocket ship.

She sped through the air for several minutes before the road took her back toward the ground. Exiting the freeway, she saw the street below posed another problem all together. Filled with a traffic jam of enormous proportion, her path to the city exit was blocked off.

She touched the side of her visor in an attempt to call ahead and have Jathen held up at the city exit, but she only heard static on the other end.

"Snowflake, what is going on, why is there so much traffic?" she shouted into her helmet.

"The unstable generator has caused the energy-dependant vehicles to move slower than usual. I am trying to find you a quicker route," said the computer voice.

"Can you get through to the city exit station? We need to stop him from leaving."

"I am sorry, I am unable to contact them."

Snow cursed when she couldn't find a space to fit through. She flipped a switch on the bike and two wheels popped out of the bottom and touched the surface of the street. The bike transformed, instead of magnetically floating just above the metal, the wheels made contact and immediately spun to life. With a squealing sound, the bike's tires gripped the smooth surface of the silver street and launched forward onto the sidewalk. She flipped a switch on the handlebars and a blaring siren erupted out, warning the bystanders that she was coming. People moved to the wall as she flew by them and past the traffic jam.

*****

Jathen reached the end of the tunnel and walked into the large decompression room. Ushered toward the back to make space for more people, he pressed against the wall. Most of the others in the room were workers heading to do maintenance on the outside of the city. The usher held the door as several other people approached the chamber. Come on already. How long is this going to take, he thought.

*****

Snow slowed as she came to the security checkpoint entrance and maneuvered her bike through the front door. Her siren blared and people scrambled to clear a path as she raced forward. The guards instantly recognized the E-squad bike and the woman at the counter pushed a button. The emergency scanner in the ceiling shot out and confirmed her identity as she weaved the bike past the counter.

Snow slowed to pass through the door and into the tunnel. She shifted her eyes to focus on her visor display. The computer connected with the security system of the checkpoints and confirmed that Fields had passed through the tunnel already. "Damn!" she shouted, twisting on the throttle and picking up speed down the stretch. "Snowflake, is he here?"

"I am having trouble locating him. Wait...his last scan was thirty-five seconds ago as he entered the decompression chamber. The doors are still open."

The tires ate up the tunnel quickly and she could see the chamber doors. She held out her hand to try and motion for the usher to wait, but the doors had already begun to close. She turned the throttle as hard as she could, but she knew her efforts were wasted.

The door locked tightly and Snow screeched to a stop. She exhaled and put her head on the steering council. "Shit, I thought I had him. Now he's out of jurisdiction."

She looked out at the decompression room door as a loud hissing sound came from within. She couldn't follow without a permit. She turned her bike around and headed back toward HQ. That's not the last you'll see of me Mr. Fields. You can bet on that.

32 Vander

No longer projecting the beautiful vista of the Greek mountains, the council room had transformed into a war room of sorts. The walls flooded with information, transparent images overlapped one another in an overload of data. With graphs and charts aplenty, news flashes cycled through one wall and a large top-down view of the city covered the other. The members of the council peered into holograms that floated in front of them as they sat working in their chairs.

Vander sat in his chair considering the risk he was about to take. He had been invited back to wrap up his visit with the council, when a sudden emergency had taken precedence over his requests. He had been invited to join them anyway. Apparently, there was something they needed him for.

He sat quietly watching as the men and women of the council all worked diligently focusing on the transparent objects in front of them. He almost felt as if he should have declined to join them, but certain situations can cause certain advantages.

Being familiar with holo-computers, he fiddled with the one in front of him, pretending to watch several news clips of the mass confusion that had erupted throughout the city. But what he really wanted was information. He wanted details on exactly what was happening here on the inside. What was going on with Sky Canopy? He hoped he could use the distraction of the meeting to pull some of the data down and take it with him outside.

He glanced around the table at all the council members. They all had a look of malcontent on their faces. He hoped this problem wasn't going to harm the people of the city. He didn't want to see that. Even though he was here for those on the outside, he didn't want to see any harm to the Insiders either.

Ronaldo Huff stormed into the room, his suit jacket unbuttoned and flapping back as he moved toward his chair. "Sorry I'm late everyone. The traffic is horrendous." He paused once he got to his seat. "It's been quite a bad last couple of days."

Vander reached under the table and turned his watch upside down on his wrist. He clicked a button and the face of the watch changed into a data storage device.

Ronaldo looked down at the table, running his hand through his thick dark hair. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the council, Mr. Lee, we find ourselves in the face of adversity. As you all know by now, the core of the generator has been stolen..."

Vander brought his hands up to wrest on the table. He needed to make sure they didn't see what he was doing. From his position at the council meeting, he had access to the full scale of what was happening with Sky Canopy and all the problems it was causing. He knew he was basically steeling the information, and getting caught would most definitely land him in deep trouble, but he wanted to analyze the information himself.

Ronaldo lifted his eyes and took a deep breath. "I can't stress the importance of what we are dealing with here people. I will be addressing the public shortly and I want to assure them that they are still safe. I want numbers and statistics to prove that statement. I am going to issue a security alert and ask that citizens stay home and try to use electricity as little as possible..."

Vander slid his hand across the table several times until the screen on the table-face in front of him held the information he needed. He placed his hand with the watch face down on the table and clicked the button again.

"However," Ronaldo continued. "I want the AOCC security placed on high alert and ready to deal with a total shield-failure situation. Bring up the interior walls and be prepared for the worst. I will not be going public with this fact to keep panic level at a low. In the mean time, I want every capable person working on a way to fix these fluctuations in power. The sooner we can get that under control, the better."

Ronaldo paused and straightened his suit coat, buttoning the top two buttons. "The good news is that Sky Canopy still operates and provides us with protection. Apparently, the core is not needed to sustain the generation of energy. Mrs. Sanders can you elaborate further?"

As Mrs. Sanders stood up, Vander used his hand to shade his activity. He could see the download bar blinking at sixty-seven percent. He hoped the woman didn't notice.

She waved her hand through the air. A large schematic of the Sky Canopy Generator appeared in the center of the small crowd. "Initially, the generator needed the core unit to operate." A visual of the schematic depicting energy flowing into the core materialized in the center of the table.

"But, as time progressed, the core acted only as a stabilizer and the generator itself began to sustain the flow of energy. Kind of like a large siphon if you will. Picture a hose attached to a water reservoir. Once the water starts running and the hose is lowered, the water will flow freely—as the energy does now." The hologram illustrated the woman's words. "The only issue: it could become unstable without the core unit in place. It is being monitored very closely and our entire team is working—"

BEEP!

Vander's watch made the sound confirming that the information had been downloaded. Everyone turned and looked at him.

Vander felt like he was under a hot lamp. He cleared his throat. "Sorry. I had my alarm set on accident. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again."

Ronaldo looked at him for a moment as if he was going to say something else, then continued normally. "So, that sums up the power issues. Next we have the problem with our security and how someone was able to steal the core. We believe the culprit is a single person, an Ultra. Ironic, seeing as how these sort of people are supposed to be here to save mankind."

Vander casually turned his watch back around and clicked the face again to change it back to the digital clock face. He slid the screen in front of him back to an appropriate display and sat back in his chair with relief.

Ronaldo continued talking. "This saboteur is believed to be the same man that is responsible for my father's death and that of our security company head, Harrison Timburk. Intelligence has given us a few leads, but nothing concrete. We believe this person to be an Outsider with incredible resources. He has proven to be a formidable foe. Mr. Stevens, can you update us on what we know of this adversary?"

The short man stood up and went over all the details from the murder case. He explained about the alleged weapons and teleportation abilities of the dark ninja. He continued and gave a detailed analysis as to how the dark ninja was able to penetrate and sabotage the Sky Canopy generator. Several members asked questions while Vander Lee sat and listened. He could do little more than take everything in and try to digest it all. He felt as if he wanted to add something, but he decided it was better to keep his thoughts to himself.

When the discussion was over Ronaldo spoke again, "Mr. Lee, I apologize for not giving you the full attention you deserve, but we are experiencing a serious threat."

"I completely understand and I will help however I can."

"Well, it just happens that we may need your help. We have it under good authority that the core is no longer inside the city, we believe it has been taken outside. We are currently planning a recovery effort and we need your help to succeed. I am going ahead with granting all of your requests. We will be sending the supplies you asked for along with a plea for help. We are sending some of the members of E-squad outside, and we would appreciate it if you could set up a correspondence with the Border Patrol."

"I'm just the man for the job, Mr. Huff. When do I depart for home?"

33 Granite

Granite looked carefully at the three dimensional replay of the Jathen Fields fight that took place on the outside in Columbus. He used the large full-sized holo-computer in the mission-briefing room to enhance the vision. The circular white room immersed him within the replay. A flat round screen projected the image upward to create an illuminated re-creation of the fight.

With the ability to view any angle, Granite paused the action and circled around to get a good look at Jathen's face. He studied the fighters features for a moment, and then hit the button to continue the action. He watched the movement of the man as he fought with grace and skill. Was this the same man I fought just last night before. Fields obviously has martial arts training, but this doesn't tell me if he has skill with a sword. If only I could have finished him.

He was so close, he had victory within his grasp—he had nearly defeated the dark ninja and stopped him from stealing the core of the generator. The whole thing could have been avoided, but he failed. He failed to stop the murderer, and had left the city at risk. This did not sit easy with the big soldier. He was not accustomed to failure. Protecting the city and its occupants came first—his main purpose in life. Fortunately for him, he did not dwell on his errors. His suppressed emotional abilities allowed him to stay focused on the task at hand. Like a machine, driven by his orders, he would do everything in his power to set things straight.

As the team leader of E-Squad and its first member, his responsibilities reached higher than the others. His sense of purpose had started when he served in the Border Wars as one of the first Ultras to go up against the Ferals. His special ability to dampen or repress pain and emotion, gave him an edge on the battlefield beyond normal soldiers. He felt no fear or anxiety and could give himself an adrenaline rush to boost his strengths, fighting much longer than normal humans. Years of experience had made him a formidable opponent and a strong leader. His leadership skills came from his simple presence. Lead by example—kick ass and take names.

He continued studying the replay, trying to find an edge, a confirmation, anything. He just wanted to be sure. He knew the dark ninja's motivations. He knew because he was there when it happened.

A long time ago, on a classified mission, the dark ninja had been only a boy. Granite was only following orders, but something bad happened—something that had set the boy in motion to seek revenge. The boy had grown up and he had come to claim it. Granite understood, and he respected the man for trying, but he would not let the city fall because of it. He would do, as always, what was necessary to succeed. He continued to study the image as he waited for the rest of his team to join him.

A short time later, Snow and Swelter joined Granite in the white mission briefing room. The plain white walls had transformed into a moving collage of images, silently streaming across various shapes and sizes of digital windows. Most of the images were from the media, broadcasting throughout the city, reporting all sorts of problems. Some of the more prominent stories expanded into larger windows.

Along with the three E-Squad team members, Ronaldo Huff, Dr. Alex Johnson and Alexandra Scott, the director of E-Squad, had joined them. A handful of other behind-the-scene personnel also sat scattered about the room. The group gathered around the full-sized holo-computer and waited for the director to speak.

"OK, people, listen up," started Mrs. Scott skipping formalities. Her long silvery hair pulled into a tight bun at the top of her head and her navy blue pantsuit hung loosely from her thin frame. The lines on her face showed her age as she shifted the thin-framed glasses to sit higher on her tiny nose. "We have a situation on our hands that will require our full attention. Mr. Huff has joined us this afternoon to stress the importance of the situation. He has assured us that all steps have been put in place for us to proceed with what needs to be done.

"First and foremost, the information that is given in this room is of strict confidence and will go no further than the walls that you see. By now you all have been notified that the core of the generator has been stolen. The generator itself is still in full operation, but seems unstable. Obviously, this is causing all the problems you see on the screens. Our collective mission is to protect the generator from any further saboteurs."

The images on the wall dimmed and a hologram of both Harrison Timburk and Walter Huff emerged from the center of the room. "The media is already in a frenzy over the murders of these two men. All kinds of theories have arisen. The citizens are asking questions and rightly so. Mr. Huff will address the public later today to ensure the people they are still safe."

The image switched to a transparent recreation of the generator with highlighted red dots. "Our job is to back that statement up. We must protect the Sky Canopy generator at all costs. The city depends on it. Security has already been heightened." She pointed out the red dots that had been added for extra security. "But that's not our main issue. Even though the generator is still operating, we still need to get back what has been stolen. The core must be retrieved and put back in place to ensure stability. Scientists are working around the clock to try and come up with a suitable replacement, but expectations are slim. We need the original core.

"We know for a fact that the core has been taken outside of the city. There is a homing beacon built into it and our computers have completed a search within the city, it is nowhere to be found. Somehow, this thing got out of the city. How that happened is another problem entirely; right now we most focus on retrieving it.

She adjusted her glasses again. "Secondly, we have had no contact with sector two nine two for a little over a week. We fear the worst. We need to keep the Ferals far away from the city in the event that the shield completely fails without the core. If sector two nine two has fallen, our military support is needed to keep the border strong."

The image changed again to a three-dimensional top down view of the outside world consisting of mostly forest and a small fortress. "We will be sending reinforcements along with one of our own E-Squaders to investigate. That means some of you are going outside." She looked at Swelter and Snow.

"E-Squad members will all be assigned to specific tasks. We will be operating outside of the city for the first time on this one, so be at your best, team.

"Swelter, you will be traveling to sector two nine two and performing the investigation and support of the fallen town. You are permitted to engage any Feral encounters. Your team is being selected and will be waiting for you when you arrive.

"Snow, you will use all means necessary to recover the core. You have done a good job so far helping with the murder case and we feel you can most effectively hunt down the core. Our team on the inside will be sending you information as we receive it. If a problem arises with the Ferals, you also have permission to engage. Both of you will be assisted by the Outside Border Patrol. A correspondence has been set up and you will meet with them when you arrive outside.

"Granite is assigned to stay in the city and provide an extra level of security at the generator. You will all be outfitted accordingly after the briefing and depart immediately. Questions?"

The light reflected off Snow's face as she stared at the holo-computer. She looked up from the hologram. "Yes, ma'am, I have a question... Why is Granite not leading the team to investigate the Ferals? He is the only one of us who has had battle experience against them."

Alexandra motioned toward the stone figure of Granite. "Granite will be stationed at the Core Containment Center of the generator. He will guard it from any intruders that manage to bypass our security. As you may know, we have had issues in that department. We cannot afford to have anything further happen to the generator. Granite's job is of utmost importance." The woman peered over her glasses at Snow with penetrating eyes. "This is what you two have been trained for. It is not a test and it is not a simulation. This is the real thing. It can be potentially much more dangerous than what you have experienced so far, but you have the tools and ability to hold your own. Make us proud."

The meeting adjourned shortly following Snow's questions and the team headed to the weapons room to prepare for the journey. Granite walked over to his locker and began to prepare for his task. The team had gotten ready for many missions before, but something of this magnitude made the situation different. The fact that he was not coming outside with them sat uneasy with Snow, he could see it in her face. He understood why she was concerned. He had fought in the Border Wars. He had been outside. He had killed many Ferals and he was the leader of the team.

"So, guarding the generator huh? Sounds like a vacation to me," said Swelter. "You sure you can handle that, Mike?"

Granite maintained his stoic expression, but gave a little laugh in response. "I'll do what I can." An awkward silence followed as he fastened his two Quake Hammers onto his back as normal. He didn't put on his heavy armor.

"Don't even need to wear your armor? This really will be a vacation for you," said Swelter.

Granite ignored the sarcasm as always and turned to face them. "I wish I could come out there with you, but I have my orders. You two will be fine without me," he paused. "When you face the monsters... just remember your training. The simulators do a good job, but it's still not the real thing. Those bastards are fast, strong, and hard to bring down. Keep your composure and use the tools you've been given." He looked at them with complete hardness in his face. "You two are some of the finest warriors I've known, and you can get the job done."

"Thanks, coach," Swelter responded. "No seriously, you don't have to worry about us. We know what to do and we'll be back inside in no time. It's all good, essé." He smirked and began to manipulate his virtual interface.

Granite in his normal monotone voice, "You never know what can happen in our business. The outside is a dangerous place."

"You forget that I'm from the outside," said Swelter. "I may not have fought in the war, but I've had my share of rough times out there. I'm looking forward to kicking some Feral ass."

Granite stared back at him. "Just stay focused, hot-head. I won't be there to cover your ass."

"I got it, big man, I can't mess it up too bad." Swelter smiled and continued with his preparation.

Snow finished and stepped close to Granite. "I appreciate what you've said. I know it's hard for you to show emotion and you just want us to stay safe. We both know the danger and we won't let you down, boss." She reached out to give him a hug. He didn't respond at first, and then embraced her awkwardly. "We'll see you shortly," she added and she turned to leave.

Swelter shook his head. "One with no emotion and one with too much. Ah what the hell, I hope to do you proud, Mike. Keep 'er safe here on the inside." He extended his hand.

Granite gripped his hand firmly and the two departed the room. Granite knew that it might not be Snow and Swelter that would not return. He knew the dark ninja would be back for him and the generator. This time he wouldn't be able to get the drop on the murderer quite as easily, but he would defend the city even if it cost him his life.

34 Snow

Snow couldn't decide if she felt nervous or excited as she made her way through the city exit. On one hand she looked forward to seeing the outside, but the reason for her departure frightened her. She had an enormous task and tremendous pressure to recover the core. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. First I find myself working on a murder case, now I'm trying to find the single most important item in the city. I guess that's good in a way. They must think highly of me. Then again, it's bad in a way too. She laughed to herself. Hope all the people on the inside realize their safety depends entirely on little old me.

She and Swelter boarded the Magna-Rail transit system headed toward Columbus. The train moved out of the station and picked up speed heading toward its outside world destination. Snow sat near the window. She had hoped to relax aboard the train, but she found herself alert with anxiety. The mission provoked her imagination, causing her to visualize the outcome. Her thoughts spun around the 'what if' questions: What if the Outsiders are hostile? What if I run into a Feral and I freeze? What if I can't find the core? What if I fail?

She looked out the window as the train hummed down the track. The land appeared to stretch on forever before it met the sky at the horizon. So taken with the expanse in front of her—and the fact that it was real—she almost didn't notice the lack of vegetation on the ground, and the absence of clouds in the sky. She had heard about the so-called "Dead Zone," but never gave much thought to it. As she gazed out the window looking at the desolate landscape, she realized that something just wasn't right.

She began to focus her thoughts as she stared at the barren landscape. She thought about the murder cases and the suspects. She thought about her plan to recover the core. Was it all connected?

When the train stopped, it jarred her awake. She must have fallen asleep. She got up and joined Swelter as they exited the train. Nearly empty with just a few other passengers, no one paid any attention to her and her companion—which she found strange. She and Swelter were both dressed in E-Squad gear, yet no one seemed to care. The station, similar to the one they departed from, looked much more weathered. The metal had rusted in spots and a few digital posters on the walls flickered on and off with garbled sounds. The chipped, faded paint barely covered the worn walls.

Swelter ran his finger along the edge of a railing and blew the dust off into the air. "Boy this place has seen better days. Did you notice on the way down, there were no leaves or grass or anything? It looked like everything was dead."

"Yeah, I guess that's why they call it the Dead Zone?" said Snow.

"I guess so... I mean, it's the middle of summer, this place should be green everywhere." He shook his head. "I guess things have changed since I was last out here. Come on let's grab our bags. It'll be a couple hours before the all-terrain vehicles arrive. I haven't been outside in a long time and I'm itching to see the town. I'll give you the nickel tour."

Snow had heard that Columbus was one of the safest towns on the outside with a form of law and civilized people. Other towns were either military outposts, thug and gang controlled, or had little to no protection.

Snow looked around at the weathered buildings and up at the large grey barrier that surrounded the town. Past the wall of protection, she could barely see the skeletal form of the old downtown area skyscrapers through the haze in the distance. The tall gray wall made her feel like a prison inmate, with its Border Patrol guards stationed on top surveying the land. She saw the old crumbling horseshoe stadium towering near the edge of town, looking more run down than the pictures she had seen. The gloomy town felt much different than she imagined, like a cross between medieval and old-western times.

Swelter led the way out of the train station. As they stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight, from the shadows of the station, Snow could feel something warm on her face, the sun. Living under the Sky Canopy ceiling, she had been deprived of experiencing the main source of light on the planet. She paused to feel it warm her cheeks. That feels nice, she thought.

She could see Swelter frown as he looked around town. "Man, this place looks different," he said. "Looks run-down or something. Everything just looks... old."

The low buildings made of crumbling brick left over from yesteryear, reinforced with wood and metal, looked sturdy enough. They served their purpose with practicality. The outsiders had little use for vanity, which was easily apparent.

The two E-Squaders headed down the main street surrounded by weathered buildings. Electrical street signs blinked on and off identifying dirt roads that disappeared into the network of rusty old buildings. The town could be compared to an old pair of jeans, faded and worn, yet comfortable and reliable.

The dusty streets were alive with people as they went about their business. Strangely, nobody seemed to be moving too quickly, most people shuffled along as if on a leisurely Sunday stroll. Snow noticed that she herself felt a bit sapped. She figured it was from the hot day. She quickly realized how hot the sun could become as it blazed down upon her from above.

The people on the outside with their mid-Summer tanned skin contrasted greatly from the ghostly complexion of the two E-Squaders. Even Swelter's Mexican decent left him looking pale compared to the sun drenched Outsiders. Snow didn't see any of the fancy digital clothing of silk and fiber-optic material that the inner city folk wore; these clothes were plain and practical, with muted, dull colors. The drably dressed people began to steel glances at her and her partner, but continued going about their business as usual.

"This is an entirely different type of place than you're used to, isn't it?" asked Swelter. "No fancy buildings or vehicles. This is a... I don't know... a much more simple place. Folks out here are a lot more protective about what they have, because it ain't much. Sure it's rough out here, but this was home for me. It's good to be back and feel the nice warm sun on my back again."

Too caught up in the sights to reply, Snow heard what her partner was saying, but didn't acknowledge him. She couldn't get over how strange this place was. It was so different from the inside, with the heat from the sun, the dust in the air, the way the people dressed and the way the buildings looked, that she felt like she had gone back in time.

Swelter continued to give her a briefing of the places that surrounded them as they strolled down the central road. "That one over there, with the sign that's barely working, that's Frank's subs. Great sandwiches; he makes them right there in front of you, not like the holo-clerks you and I are used to. Guy must be getting old by now. You can see one of the factories down the street there. They make some kind of computer chip or something. And over there is the town grocery store. Far as I know they get their food supply from inside the city."

"So these guys are still very dependent on the city?"

"Oh yes. They need these shipments to make it out here for survival. I know some other towns do more with crops and what not, but not Columbus. Everything comes from the inside or the other towns. Columbus is sort of the hub of the outside."

As they walked down the dirt street, a gust of wind blew up some dust that flew into the air. Snow covered her face instinctively.

Swelter chuckled, "Just a little breeze. Something else we don't get in the city." He took in a long deep breath. "Ah, good ol' fresh air. It's been a long time, Snow."

She took a deep breath herself. "Seems kind of stale to me." With the dusty, hard ground kicking dust into the dry air, Snow could taste the grit as she breathed. She brushed some of the dust off her white sleeve.

"Little dirt never hurt anyone, chica," he told her.

She smiled sarcastically and they continue, down the street.

"Alright, let me show you where you need to go. I would guess that the Border Patrol station is still in the same place, so let's head over that way."

He pointed down a road that trailed off from the main street. They made a turn and began walking down a winding, narrow road.

"We'll take a left up ahead and the station should be just down that way. That's where your contact will be. What did you say his name was?"

"It's Tan Wilford. He's a border patrolman."

"Can't say I've heard of him. And trust me when I tell you, I have had some run-ins with those Border Patrol guys in the past."

Snow knew that Swelter was formerly in a gang on the outside world. He had strange tattoos covering his body to prove it. She never asked about the tattoos and he never talked much about his past.

Snow checked the homing beacon widget that helped her locate and track down the core. No signal. She played around with it for several seconds to no avail. Maybe the dark ninja figured a way to shut off the homing beacon. That wouldn't make things easy. She figured her best shot was to track down Jathen Fields and start there.

As they walked down the winding street they passed a building with a worn out digital sign that simply read 'Bar.' Snow could barely see the sign due to the large amount of dirt covering it. A beat up, metal door hung loosely on the hinges below the sign. Suddenly, the old battered door swung open and five stumbling, laughing men spilled onto the street. Snow immediately took note of the tattoos that covered their arms, the same ones that adorned Swelter.

One of the men noticed them and said, "Oooh, looky here. Looks like we got us some newcomers. And one of 'em happens to be a lady. Wasn't I just say'n I was hope'n to get laid tonight, Jer?"

"Sure was, Pablo. Looks like it's our lucky day."

Pablo licked his plump lips and slicked his hair back with his left hand. "You is fine, Bunny! Who's the chump you got with you, sweetheart?"

One of the other men from the back stepped forward. He pushed Pablo to the side making it clear he was the leader of the bunch. The man looked at Swelter with quizzical eyes. He tipped his head to the side then asked, "Don't you boys know who this is?" His scowl turned into a sly grin. "This is Pavel Torres. The deserter."

Pablo narrowed his eyes. "Yo, I heard a you." He stepped forward again and pointed a finger toward Swelter's face. "You the one who left the Gods of War? Yeah, that was you. You left us." He used his arms and hand gestures to accentuate his words. "No one leaves the Gods of War. You should never have come back here, man. Ares is gonna have your head."

Snow glanced at Swelter. His jaw was clenched and he looked like he was struggling to maintain control of his emotions. She grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him away from the men. She leaned into him and whispered, "Not worth it; let's get out of here." They began to walk away.

The leader spoke up again, "Look at ya. All dressed up in your new clothes... Come'n back to town with a hot young thing on your arm... What's that get-up you wear'n anyways?"

The two E-Squaders ignored him and continued to walk away.

"Stay calm," said Snow. "We've dealt with a lot worse than these guys."

The five men rushed out and surrounded them. "Now, where you think you going, Pavel? We ain't done with you yet," said the leader.

Swelter responded calmly. "I decided to help people rather than hurt them. This suit... it helps me do that." He looked the leader in the eye. "Yeah, I remember you. Terrell is it? I suggest you back off, amigo."

The leader smiled, "They call me Knife now." He tilted his head to the side. "And I'm not your amigo. We'll leave you alone when I say."

"Yeah, did I hear you say you wanted to help people? Now where's the fun in that?" said Pablo. "Hurt'n people is what they said you did best. So what... you wear'n some new clothes make you all righteous." He shook his hands like a preacher giving a sermon. "I don't think you was anything special anyways. I think that was all bullshit. Ya know what I think? You look kinda like a big puss-eee." He stepped close to Swelter.

"No, they weren't fool'n Pablo; this one was one of Ares favrits," Knife said. "What you think about that lady? You know your boyfriend here is a hardcore criminal? A baby killer."

Swelter flinched at the sound of those words. Snow moved to separate the two men. She knew this could end badly if Swelter lost his temper. He could kill all these men in seconds. With his training and equipment he was one of the most deadly humans in existence. Snow didn't want to have blood on their hands in the first half hour they were in town.

But, Pablo kept at it, "Yeah, that's bad ass, man. Ha ha ha, you killed some kids once right, pussy?"

Swelter began to move Snow's arm to the side, but she stopped him. "Don't let them get to you, Swelter."

"Swelter?" asked Pablo "Did you fellas hear what she called him? You know, baby, you need you a real man. That ass is tight."

With her arm outstretched to keep the two men separated, the thug reached for her arm to caress her skin. "Look at that smooth white skin, man I bet those puss—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Snow whirled around and planted her fist into his mouth. He staggered backward and fell to the ground.

The other men laughed at Pablo as he sat in the dirt with his hands covering his face. Knife looked at Snow. "We got us a frisky one here, boys."

The other four started to move forward. Knife pulled out a closed butterfly knife and flung it back and forth rapidly until the blade was revealed. "This is where I gets my name from."

Just as he had finished his movement, Swelter lunged forward and grabbed his wrist. He turned it in an awkward position so that the knife fell harmlessly to the ground. He pushed the man back with enough force that he fell next to his buddy Pablo. "You'll stay down if you know what's good for you, Terrell."

Just then, a loud blast came from the opening of the alley. The silhouette of a man with a large shotgun stood at the mouth of the road. "That's enough! I hear another word and I'm throwing the lot of you into the pen. Now get on out of here!"

The five men gathered up Pablo and reluctantly headed back down the street. Knife yelled out one final threat. "We'll be see'n you again. You're a dead man, Pavel. DEAD!"

The man with the gun walked up to them. "You guys must be the E-Squaders from inside. Glad I came when I did or I'd be picking up pieces of those guys. I'm not entirely clueless about who you are. Sorry I couldn't meet you at the station, they didn't give us a whole lot of notice. Anyway, I'm here now and I've been appointed to help you in your investigation. My name is Tan."

After a short meet and greet, Swelter went on his way to meet up with his own contacts. He had a long journey in front of him and he needed to rendezvous with his team. Snow hoped it wasn't the last time the two would see each other, she thought of Swelter like a brother. She had faith that he would be all right and turned her focus to her own task.

35 Jathen

Jathen Fields jogged alongside the large decaying structure of the Horseshoe stadium as he began his trek back home from his typical evening run. Fresh off his visit to the city, he wanted to get a run in after missing several nights. Staying in good shape was a priority. He trained most of the day and ran twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The latter, a shorter run that took him out and around the old stadium.

As his apartment building came into view, he happened to notice two figures standing near his doorstep. From a distance he could make out one person, Tan Wilford, his buddy from the Border Patrol. The other appeared to be a female. As he got closer the woman caught his attention. She dressed rather strangely wearing a tightly fitted white outfit with light blue highlights on the sides, collar and chest. The suit hugged her figure; she was athletic yet still shapely. The outfit looked like a form of light armor. Not something usually seen on the outside.

His eyes rose to her face, she was pretty with an expression of no nonsense. Her thin, slightly tapered eyebrows set overtop large, piercing blue eyes. Full lips appeared red against pale skin and the black, spiked hair rose above her slender face in contemporary fashion. As he got closer, he had trouble not staring at the sight of this beautiful, bad-girl looking woman.

Tan raised his hand in greeting. "Jathen. How are you this evening?"

Jathen came to a stop just short of his two visitors. Breathing heavily, he could feel the sweat trickling down his back, he knew it would be glistening off his body in the evening sun, giving even more definition to his chiseled form as his chest rose and fell with each breath. He wore no shirt and a pair of loose fitting shorts. A red headband caught the sweat just below his short brown hair. "Tan, to what do I owe the honor?"

"Hello, Jathen. I'm sorry, but this is a little more than just a friendly visit," said Tan. "I'd like you to meet Agent Snow. She is from the inside. She would like to ask you a few questions."

"Mr. Fields, I am agent Snow of E-Squad. I would like to speak with you about your recent visit inside the city. Could we go inside to speak?"

Jathen felt his heart skip a beat. "Did you say you're from E-Squad?"

Snow looked at him strangely. "Umm...yes."

"Do you know how hard it is to get in touch with you people? I've been trying to save you the time in finding me, but I failed miserably." He took a step back and took a deep breath. "phew...yet, here you are. Standing at my door step. Please, come on in."

He skipped up the steps toward the door. As he opened the door, he happened to noticed how cautious the lady moved, looking like she could spring after him at any moment. He also noticed she had turned her weapons on as they glowed slightly on the sides of her wrists. Strange, seeing how she must be here to recruit me.

He motioned for his two guests to follow. Upon entering, he reached for one of the walls and flipped a switch; soft glowing light illuminated the small apartment interior. Glad I cleaned the place recently. I should have taken those old martial-arts movie posters down. I didn't expect company.

Jathen gestured for the two to sit down in two old sturdy leather armchairs. He himself grabbed a chair from a small dining room table and turned it around so that he could sit with his arms resting on the back of the chair. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Snow?"

"Do you know a man named Harrison Timburk?" she asked

"Never heard of him."

"How about Walter Huff?"

Jathen paused for a moment. "That's the big shot inside the city, former head of the AOCC, the so-called leader of the free world?"

"He was," she responded. "Up until he was murdered."

He could see her watching him carefully as he answered, but he was calm and collected. "OK, so... good for him. What does this have to do with me?"

"I'll get to that. Upon your arrival to the city, on the evening that you arrived, can you retrace for me your exact whereabouts?"

"Wait a second. You're here to invite me to be part of your team, right?

Snow frowned looking shocked. "No! What are you talking about?"

Jathen scratched his head, and then it hit him. The murders in the city. He remembered seeing it on the news. "Are you here because you think I murdered your fat politician?"

"Just please go over your evening for me."

"This must be some kind of a joke. I was trying to find E-Squad so that I could possibly join up. And here I come to find out I'm wanted for Murder?! What a crock."

"Mr. Fields, I don't know if you understand the severity of the situation. Now please, answer the question."

He stared at her and then glanced at Tan. Tan nodded for him to continue. "All the damn people inside that place and the best you can come up with is me?" he shook his head and chuckled softly, "alright here goes... I came to check out the AG Fighting Association. They invited me inside, got me a pass. I stayed a few nights and decided to sign on. You may have heard it on the news. I was interviewed this morning.

"I did meet some friends of yours over in the slums, those guys don't like you to much over there."

She didn't even bat an eye at the comment. "OK, so that's why you were inside. Now can you please be more specific about your first night in town?"

He sighed then started over. "I was contacted by a man named Randy Silvara after my fight. He arranged for me to come inside the city, have a look around and talk about joining his association. I guess they wanted to wine and dine me and show me how different it was on the inside." He looked at Tan. "It was a lot different."

"I was greeted by a guy named Murray who acted as my guide. He set me up with a real nice room and then took me to a restaurant called Jim's Place. We had a nice dinner and good conversation. He needed to leave and I stayed at the bar for a while longer before I headed back to my room. I spent the rest of the evening playing around with the holo-movie-thingy. Those things are pretty cool." He again nodded toward Tan.

Snow didn't miss a beat, "OK. Let's go back to the bar. You were spotted having a heated conversation with another man. Do you remember having any kind of argument with anyone?"

Jathen thought back for a moment. "Yeah, now that you mention it, some drunk, war hero, smart-ass... came over and was trying to give me a hard time about my career. Guy was a real horse's ass. Told me I didn't know anything about fighting until I had fought some Ferals." Jathen shot a glance at Tan. "He didn't know shit. I ignored the guy and tried to just finish my drink, but he kept it up. I told him that I had my share of run-ins with Ferals living on the outside. He continued pressing me by talking about the war. I just let him flap his gums, finished my drink and got out of there."

"So, you did have an argument, and it sounds like you didn't like this man."

"Would you have liked him, Mrs. Snow?"

"I'm not being questioned about him, Mr. Fields, you are."

Jathen just smiled sarcastically at her.

Snow continued stoically. "You checked back into the hotel at nine forty-five p.m.; did you leave your room at any time after that?

"No."

"Is there anyone that can confirm that you stayed in your room until morning?"

He hesitated, "I guess not, but you can ask the clerk. I never left."

"For your information, there are ways around the holo-clerks," she stated. "How about your second night, please tell me about it."

"Same thing basically. Had dinner, went back to my room and chilled. No arguments or anything exciting. Do I need to tell you what I had for dinner?"

Snow narrowed her eyes. "Do you have anyone that can confirm or deny that you were in your room that night?"

He shook his head back and forth slowly. "Just me, myself and me. You can call my buddy Murray Liscone; I'm sure he'll vouch for me."

She must have been satisfied with that set of questions as she asked another. "I've watched you fight, you can do things others cannot, is that correct?"

Jathen laughed again. "Yeah, I can kick ass better than most, if that's what you mean."

"Maybe I should be more direct," she said, "have you ever been tested for the Ultra gene?"

"No. I've never been tested for any kind of magical abilities, but I guess some people think I'm special." He paused and winked at Snow. "And that comes up frequently nowadays."

She ignored his flirtation, but he could tell that it did distract her ever so slightly.

"It just so happens that I can have that question answered right here," she said "May I take a sample of your blood? It is a simple prick of your finger."

Tan stayed silent and again nodded at Jathen to continue.

"I guess it's cool. I always thought I was Ultra, but never got the confirmation?"

"Yes, Mr. Fields, some of us know what we are right away, but until it's been confirmed, you are simply normal."

Jathen thought about what she meant. She must be an Ultra herself, that's the reason for the strange white outfit. If he played his cards right with her, after all this accusation stuff got cleared up, she might be his ticket inside. "Well in that case, have at it." He held out his right index finger.

Snow took out a small contraption and placed it over his finger. Jathen felt a small pinch on his finger. He put his finger in his mouth and tasted the tiny bit of blood that leaked out as they waited for the machine to process. Hearing a small beep Snow closed it up and placed it back into her leg pouch.

"Well, if you didn't know before, it is confirmed that you are in fact an Ultra."

"So that little thingy you just used, tells you I'm an Ultra. Just that fast?"

"Even though some people won't believe there is such a thing as an Ultra, science tells us otherwise. The evidence is all right in the DNA. Some people have stronger brain-wave pattern than others. Yours happens to be off the chart."

"Guess that means I am special," he said with another wink.

She ignored the egotistical comment. "I didn't even bother asking you about the third night, because I'm sure you would tell me the same thing. Let me get straight to the point, Mr. Fields. You are an Ultra from outside the city with martial arts training, and no alibi for the evenings that three murders occurred. You are also a prime suspect in the sabotage of the Sky Canopy generator.

"What—"

"These are all confirmed facts about the case. I don't know if you understand the situation, Mr. Fields. These are serious allegations and if you are involved, we will find out."

"This is some serious crap. Murders and sabotage... listen lady, I'm not trying to bring down your city, I'm trying to get in." He could feel his blood pressure starting to rise. "You don't know anything—"

She raised her voice to speak over him. "There is enough information here to allow me to take the next step, and that is to run a memory scan on you. We will need to detain you for the next few hours in order to complete the process. I am, by law, obligated to ask for your permission to proceed with this test. Do I have your permission?"

Jathen looked bewildered. "What is a memory scan?"

"It will allow me to trace your memories from what you did that evening. It is an infringement on your privacy and that is why I must ask for your permission. If you refuse I can legally take you into custody and detain you until further notice."

"What bullshit," he said. "Will it clear me of your accusations?"

"Yes it will."

"Fine. Go for it."

Snow opened a small case and pulled out a tiny red pill. "You must take this first and wait for an hour, then we can proceed with the scan."

Jathen frowned at the pill, then snatched it out of her hand and popped it into his mouth. He swallowed it, and then assumed a relaxed position on the chair.

After roughly an hour and a half, Snow placed a lightweight device on Jathen's head. It rested just above his ears connected by a strap that circled behind and back around. Two thin arms with glowing yellow pads, reached out to his temple area. Snow held in her hand a circular remote control. She slid her finger around the surface of the remote in a counter clockwise direction and the glowing pads illuminated the sides of Jathen's head.

"Is this it? Is it scanning now?" he asked.

"Yes. There is no pain or feeling at all. The scan will take several minutes then I can send it in to be processed."

She was right. He felt nothing.

Tan watched from his armchair. "What exactly are we going to get when it's done processing?" he asked.

Snow continued to manipulate the remote. "We will see and hear what Jathen experienced on his trip inside the city. It takes time and a lot of computer power to sift through everything. There are lots of memories and thoughts in a person's head. It's a complicated process. Also, the sooner we do this the better. As time goes on most people begin to forget things. Therefore it is crucial to get the information as soon as possible, while the memories are fresh."

Several minutes went by and the scan finished.

"I just need to send this in to have it processed," said Snow as she slid her fingers across the remote, then touched the screen in several different locations. She had obviously done this before. "Now, we wait." She sat back down in the chair and placed her hands in her lap.

A small double beep from the remote grabbed her attention and she looked down at it. "Hmm, it's not sending. There appears to be some sort of interference or something." She pulled her visor onto her face, reached out into the air and moved her hands around in strange gestures. "Nothing. That's odd."

She concentrated on the empty space in front of her. "My suit isn't even charging properly."

Tan leaned forward in his chair. "We've been having more and more trouble with all our equipment out here. Anything that's electrical or battery operated seems to cut out every now and then and it's beginning to happen more frequently. Good luck trying to get that sent in to your big computer."

"We have our issues on the inside as well. How long has all this been going on out here?"

"Like I said, some of the electrical problems have been more recent, but it's just one more thing in the list of problems that are getting worse. Things like vegetation and such have been dying all around us and not coming back. At first we thought it was just a drought, but it's not getting better. And if you look out past the town walls, you can see the forest line receding."

"I'm sorry about that," she said sympathetically. "But there isn't much I can help you with there. As for the electrical issues, ours began when the core was stolen. But I can't see how yours could be connected. Perhaps you have a wiring problem." She motioned at Jathen who sat on the chair now leaning back against the wall waiting. His arms were crossed back behind his head.

With her visor still on, Snow began to try something else. Her fingers lightly touched an invisible button. She looked like a conductor of an orchestra as her arms glided through the air.

"Let's try this first. I can reroute and push more power into a stronger, secure line. We use this on the inside to protect signals from hackers."

She waited for a moment. "Damn. Nothing." She paused in deep thought. "How do you communicate with the inside?"

"We can use the hard-line back at the office," said Tan.

"Perfect. That's just what I need. Let's go."

The three headed back over to Tan's office. It wasn't far, but it still took them the better part of a half hour to walk there. A plain grey building with a small inconspicuous sign out front indicated that it was the Border Patrol Office. Inside, a group of old partitioned spaces with dirty tiled flooring and pale light-blue walls, smelled of mildew and coffee. Tan motioned for them to sit down by his desk. The old, plain-wood desk held several dusty monitors that glowed softly and occasionally flickered. A digital pad that looked very worn near the edges sat in the middle, accompanied by several empty coffee cups and some other various odds and ends on the surface of the desk.

"Sorry about the messy desk," added Tan. "I'm kind of a slob. I really need to clean this place up." He moved over to the wall and unplugged a thick yellow cable. He pulled it out until there was enough slack to reach over to Snow. "Try it out."

Jathen sat next to Snow in one of the chairs. He had allowed them to handcuff him when they left his home. He sat closer to her than he needed to be. He waited patiently, taking advantage of the situation to move as close to Snow as possible, nearly invading her personal space. He had expected her to make him move away, but she said nothing allowing him to sit close.

He peered over her shoulder as she took the cable and looked at the end. It didn't match the female opening on her arm pad. Jathen was nearly breathing down her neck.

"Do you mind?" She pushed him back in his chair to give her some space.

"Sorry, I'm just real curious to find out if I'm clean or not," he told her with sarcasm.

Snow narrowed her eyes at him, and then refocused her gaze upon the virtual data of her visor. She slid her fingers along the controls and the female opening changed shape, reconfiguring to match the male end of the cable. She inserted the cable and there was a small click.

After several seconds, a green light appeared. She typed a message on the pad manually. Moments later she received a reply. "It looks like I'm going to need to use this line. It's much slower and will take considerably longer to send the information in. Guess we'll be enjoying each other's company a little longer than expected."

Jathen looked at her and smiled. "I was hoping to hang out for a while anyway." He sat back and assumed a more comfortable position, keeping his eyes locked on her. She held his gaze and gave him a sarcastic smile in return.

36 Snow

While she waited for Jathen's memory results, Snow fiddled with the virtual display on her visor. She took another look at the core locator widget that appeared in her upper right viewing area. Astonishingly, a signal popped up. The homing signal pointed toward a point farther South than Columbus.

"Now this is strange," she said. "The signal showed up, but this can't be right. It's reading outside the borders. That's feral territory."

"I can't tell what you're looking at. Can I have a look?" Tan asked.

Snow hit a button and a hologram sprung up from her wrist. It depicted a map showing Columbus and the position of the homing signal. She pointed to the spot so that he could see where she was talking about.

"Aha, now I see. It's around the edge of the old border, back before Sky Canopy was built. The border is smaller now than it was back then. I don't know who would be living out there... or how. It's outside the Dead Zone. That might be why you're getting the signal." The blip flickered, popped back up in Columbus for a second and then disappeared entirely.

Snow looked closer. "What just happened." She tried to get the signal back, but it was no use. "You're right, it was outside the Dead Zone. But, again, that's Feral country, it just doesn't seem right. I'm not feeling confident with the equipment. It might not be reading correctly with all the interference. I have a few other suspects to check. Let's take that route."

She walked over to the open cell and motioned for Jathen to enter.

"What, you want me to go in there? I haven't been arrested."

"I haven't gotten the results yet, and just in case...I don't want you skipping out on me." She knew he was going to come up clean, but she played by the book.

He slowly got up and moved into the cell. "You're going to owe me, Mrs. Snow."

She closed the iron doors. "Mr. Fields, enjoy yourself while we're gone. We will be back to get your results soon." She had guessed by now that he would turn up clean. Time to try one of the other suspects. Something had to turn up.

Tan and Snow decided that the apocalyptic spokesman was the strongest suspect out of the remaining four. They had to travel to the church located clear across town. With no vehicles or horses to ride, it took the remainder of the afternoon to reach the cathedral.

At one time, the apocalyptic house of worship had been a Catholic Church; the entire building had since converted into a shadowy and gothic house of sorrow. Stripped of all its former brilliance, only a pale white symbol remained hanging over the large double doors of the old building. The emblem symbolized the four horseman of the apocalypse.

Arcane designs of gray and black dominated the dark and dreary interior. Skulls lined the walls with flickering eye sockets. Horror scenes made of stained glass lit the dark interior and four great tapestries each depicting one of the four horsemen hung from the upper sections.

A blood-red pew stood out from the rest of the dark colors, resting in front of a large black monolith that had replaced the symbol of Christ. Several disciples sat or kneeled near the front chanting low incantations, wearing gray robes with red trim.

Tan looked around and spoke softly so that only Snow could hear him. "This place gives me the creeps."

Snow was equally uncomfortable. "I agree, it's disturbing in here."

"Yeah, I don't even think the gang-bangers mess around with these weirdoes. This place is morbid."

Snow approached one of the disciples from behind. "Excuse me, sir, we are looking for Sebastian Mlock?"

The man ignored her and continued with his low chanting. She walked around to the front and saw that he meditated in a trance-like state, with his eyes rolled back into his head.

"Excuse me. Sir?" she said again.

"That won't be necessary, young lady," said a voice from the shadows of a door. "My name is Father Mlock. What can I do for you?"

Snow and Tan both turned to see a man wearing a deep red robe emerge from a shadowed doorway. Snow recognized him immediately; his hooknose and long, gray ponytail made him easily identifiable. His multiple appearances inside the city had given Snow plenty of opportunity to remember his warlock features.

"Mr. Mlock, my name is Agent Snow and this is Tan Wilford of the Border Patrol. We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Yes, of course. Please follow me to my office were we can be more discreet."

He led them through the doorway and back into a long hall. The dark and dismal passageway made her feel like she was being led to a dungeon prison; she didn't know how anyone could live like this.

They reached his office and he indicated for them to sit in two uncomfortable-looking metal chairs that faced his large metal desk. More gothic features decorated the room like the rest of the church, but the metal furniture contrasted against the medieval setting. More paintings of the four horsemen littered the walls.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of hosting the esteemed E-Squader, Agent Snow... all the way from inside the city?" he asked.

Snow was surprised. She hadn't expected him to know about E-Squad or her in particular. He must have more connections than she expected.

"I understand that you recently visited the city—"

"As I do every six months or so, only because they will not give me residency inside the city."

"...And what was your business?"

"As it always is, to spread the truth about the age that we live in. To educate the people, so they may choose the right path. To let things happen as they should. You must understand young lady that we have already witnessed the coming of—"

"Yes, I understand your views, but I am not here for a sermon," Snow did not like being preached to, and she wanted to let him know that she was the one questioning him. "I would like to know exactly what it was that you did during this most recent visit to the city... in detail. Start when you arrived please."

He studied her for a moment. "Please understand that I have been coming into the city for years, and I have the right to freedom of speech. If there is something I did wrong, then please enlighten me."

She realized she had entered a game of wits with this man. This guy was sly and smart— not one to give up his secrets easily. Maybe the best approach would be a direct one.

"There have been several murders in the city, high profile people. You happen to be a suspect, Mr. Mlock. You are not being charged with anything at this time. However, I do need you to answer a few questions."

"Gladly. I will cooperate fully within my rights." He smiled at her, with no hint of guilt. "I am a lot of things, Mrs. Snow, but a murderer is not one of them."

She stared back at him in silence. Should I spring the big one on him or proceed with normal questions? She waited several more seconds. "Mr. Mlock, the core to the Sky Canopy generator has been stolen," she watched his reaction. Ever so slightly, she noticed a small shift in his posture; his eyes widened for the briefest of moments. This news had surprised him.

His voice remained calm without any hint of excitement. "...I see. And the Sky Canopy has shut down?"

"No," she said. "The generator is still functioning."

Tan shifted his metal chair creating a loud screech that broke the tension. "Sorry," he said meekly.

Mlock brought his hands up to rest under his chin. "I am certainly no scientist, but with the generator missing the core, things can't be going good. How does the facility remain in operation?"

"That is all beside the point. I am not a scientist either. All that matters is that I recover the core. Would you happen to know its whereabouts, Mr. Mlock?"

He ignored the question and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "So... it has finally begun. Someone has done the impossible. The core has been stolen. Thank you for such wonderful news."

"I'm glad I can be of service to you," she said sarcastically. "But lives are at stake here, and you didn't answer the question. Did you have a hand in the theft of the generator core?" She watched him carefully.

"As you most obviously know, I have been calling for the shutdown of the generator for years, and for as much as I would like to claim this great victory, I cannot, nor do I have any clue where your precious core can be located." He sat back into his chair and exhaled loudly, with a look of great satisfaction on his face. "I can only hope that it was one of our children that has finally had the courage to bring us to our salvation."

She could see how much he had enjoyed the news, as if he had just received a new present. He is either an incredible actor or he had no part in the theft. Watching his reaction of sheer joy at the vulnerability of the city was hard for her to swallow. "You do understand, even if you are not directly involved, you can still be held accountable or as an accomplice."

"I understand completely, my dear. But, I assure you I had nothing to do with it. My religion and my beliefs about Sky Canopy are totally legal. As I said before, I have freedom of speech, and it is my right to say how I feel. If someone else has taken my words literal, then their actions are their own. However, when you do find them, please be kind enough to give them my thanks."

Rage began to boil up inside her. He was mocking her. He was mocking her city. He was a sadistic, crazy man with warped ideals. She hated him and wished she could smash his face in with her boot heal.

But she needed to stay in control. He could be as happy as he wanted and he had the right to do so. He was innocent and she knew it. It was a hard to continue. "Mr. Mlock, can you please go over your entire visit to the city, in as much detail as possible?"

She watched and listened as he went through his visit to the city. Brimming with excitement through the whole tale, the cunningly slimy man made it completely clear that he had nothing to do with the actual theft of the core. His recap contained nothing but the truth. She had gotten what she needed, but it was always good to double check. "Have you ever heard of a memory scan Mr. Mlock?"

"Of course I have. And you do not have my permission to do one today. I don't trust those things, Agent Snow, and I know my rights. You can't administrate one without consent. I have already given you what you asked for." He paused and smiled. "And you have done the same for me. As I said before, I had no involvement in this affair. If you like I can produce full alibis. "

"That's alright, I think you have given us what we need. Thank you for your time, Mr. Mlock."

As she and Tan walked toward the door, she couldn't help but add one final thing, "And... I'm really glad to see that you are so happy to know that millions of people may be put in harm's way. You're a sad, sad individual, Mr. Mlock. I can only hope that your followers begin to see through all your bullshit." She smirked and turned to leave. Tan eagerly followed her.

She could hear him yell after them as they exited the building. "You can hate me, Agent Snow, but I only seek for us to accept our punishment from God. We must be beaten before we can heal..."

The two hurried back out into the fresh air, welcoming the sun's light.

"It looks like another dead end. We may want to keep tabs on him just in case, but I think he's clean," said Snow.

"Yeah, I know. Glad we left when we did, I don't think I could have handled that weirdo much more. Anyway, wish I could help you some more, but I'm about worn out. Can we pick this up in the morning?"

"It is getting late, I guess we'll have to continue tomorrow."

"I can find a place for you to stay if you like. Actually, maybe you can just hang out at the station. Everything you need is there, bed, shower, roof... No one will bother you.

"That's sounds good."

"I apologize, I would have set up some better accommodations for you if I had had more than an hour notice."

Snow stopped walking. "An hour's notice? Is that what you said?"

"Yeah, I only got the news you were coming just before we met. You know, when I saw you in the street. I—"

"Wait... Mr. Lee didn't tell you until a day later about our arrival?"

"Mr. Lee? Who's that? I didn't hear anything from him. I received a message from the holo-computer. Come to think of it, the message did say something about thanking us for our help. Which I thought was kind of odd, being that we didn't hear anything until that point. I even checked with the other fellas."

"So you're telling me you heard nothing from Mr. Lee?

"No. Who is Mr. Lee?"

"He was the outside politician who stood before the council for the annual supply shipment."

Tan rubbed his chin and thought back. "Yeah, yesterday we got the supply shipment, and yeah—I know who you are talking about, he was there. Helping unload the shipment, which was odd for a politician guy like him. But, he didn't say a word to me about anyone from inside coming to Columbus."

Snow considered the situation. "Maybe we should go have a word with him too. Can't hurt."

"I guess I can suck it up for one more. But let's make it quick."

Tan led her back to the station where he had a listing of all the occupants in the town. He quickly found Vander Lee's address. "Here it is," he said as he pointed at the listing." Looks like it's not too far from here. We might as well go over there now. It's only seven o'clock."

"Thank you for your help on this, Tan. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem, this is what I do for a living. Let's get going."

Vander Lee's street didn't get as much traffic as the main road, leaving patches of pavement left over from the old days. Tan and Snow had to be more cautious as they walked on the crumbled and broken street. Mr. Lee's two-story home stood about midway down the road. In better shape than a lot of the other houses, the home left a more inviting appearance than some of the other dilapidated structures.

Tan walked up and knocked on the freshly painted door. No answer. "Let's try around back," he said. They walked around to the other side and Tan tried the back door. "Looks like no one's home."

Snow approached the door and tried the knob. "Damn, locked tight." She hopped down from the small porch and tried to peer in the window. With the lights off she couldn't see any movement inside. She stepped back up on the porch and placed her hand in front of the keyhole. Bringing up her Vir-Comm, she manipulated the controls with her fingers, causing a subtle light to spring out from her wrist and into the keyhole. Two long, thin pieces of metal followed the light into the hole. With a small click, the door swung open.

"We shouldn't be doing this," said Tan.

"Tan, there are millions of people in possible harm's way and I'm not going to let a locked door stop me from getting the core back."

Tan didn't argue. He just followed her inside.

They crept into the kitchen area from the open back door.

"Hello? Mr. Lee?" Snow called out. There was no reply.

The tiny kitchen consisted of a round table and an old refrigerator accompanied by range and oven. Past the kitchen came a living room with a common sitting arrangement, very clean and proper. The two looked around and found nothing out of the ordinary. Only the old refrigerator broke the silence with its continuous humming.

"Let's check upstairs," said Snow.

They slowly climbed the staircase. Snow had entered into many homes working for E-Squad, yet this older house left her feeling somewhat disoriented, it was different than the places she was used to. She proceeded cautiously. At the top of the stairs, two bedrooms and a bathroom remained vacant and unused. They scanned through a few dressers and closets finding nothing of interest in the first room, but the second room caused Snow to pause. Being an office of sorts with crème colored walls, an oak bookcase and a matching desk and chair seemed ordinary enough, but on the surface of the desk sat a very familiar holo-computer interface that Snow recognized immediately. She waved her hand in front of it and the images sprung up as it did on her desk back at E-Squad headquarters.

"Now this is strange, a state-of-the-art holo-computer... out here? I didn't think anyone had anything like this on the outside."

"We don't," said Tan as he looked at the images. "This is better than any of the equipment we have at the station. I'm jealous."

Snow sat down behind the desk and waved her hands through the air. Images sprang up one after the other, but she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

"Damn, I wish I had access to my VA, Snowflake. She would be able to hack this system and find out what he's been up to."

Tan watched her graceful movements. "What's a VA?"

"Virtual Assistant. She allows me to access all sorts of information whenever I need it. It's something you really begin to miss when it's not around. I guess I'm showing how dependant we are on the inside."

"Can't say I quite understand, but whatever," said Tan as he looked around the room tapping the walls in various places, looking for hidden compartments. "I'm not seeing anything here, if there's nothing of interest on that fancy computer, then let's go back downstairs, I saw a door that I'm guessing leads to the basement. We can check that out also."

The door to the basement had been left slightly ajar. There were locks on the side, but it was as if someone had hurried down without taking time to relock it. They shuffled down the stairs and entered into a dark room. Snow felt around the wall until she felt the switch, she flipped it on and the entire room became illuminated. Clearly styled after a Japanese dojo, the walls were lit from behind with various martial arts weapons on the walls and training equipment throughout the room.

"Now what does a politician have a room like this for?"

Tan walked up to the heavy bag and gave it a few light punches. "Maybe he likes to stay in shape. It's really cool if you ask me."

Snow agreed and admired some of the weaponry on the walls.

Snow flicked a finger across the blade of the sword to check it sharpness and almost cut herself. She could hear Tan tapping the walls around the room behind her.

"Hey listen to this," he said knocking on a hollow-sounding spot. He tapped at the wall causing two different sounds. Looking around the area, he found a small crack near the floor. He put pressure on the spot and the door released, revealing a smaller room with a large piece of machinery.

Snow walked inside the room and felt her eyes widen. "I know what this is. It's a teleportation unit," she said.

"Teleportation? Never seen one of those before," he said excitedly, "Heard you had them on the inside, but never expected to see one in person."

"Well, this is it. You see that chamber over there? If you step inside, it'll teleport you somewhere else. Question is, where? And how is it possible that this thing has enough power to operate? These things take tremendous amounts of energy to work." She fiddled with the controls on the side of the unit. "It doesn't have any power. The thing is useless. We're not going to find him this way."

Snow looked at the large, bulky unit. Then it hit her. She looked at the position that it was facing. "I don't know exactly how these work, but I know they follow an unobstructed beam of light. This one is pointing that way." She pointed with her hand, and brought up her Vir-Comm. She tapped a button. A hologram sprung up and the direction that she pointed matched the same direction that the homing beacon had come from.

"Looks like we have a match. Vander Lee is undoubtedly the man I am looking for. Let's get back to that hard line so I can double check the location."

Back at the station, Snow plugged into the yellow cable that connected her to the inside. She spun the image around so she could look at it from a three dimensional view. "It's definitely a match. Mr. Lee has taken the core farther south. The line of the teleportation beam just about directly lines up with the homing beacon. I guess that's where we have to go."

"Wait a second... who is we?"

"I'm going to need a few men to volunteer to help us retrieve the core. It's going to take more than just you and me, especially if it's past the border."

Tan walked over to the cell and opened the door, allowing Jathen to come out. "Listen, Snow, I've been willing to help you around town here, but going outside the border? That's just suicide. We know better than to do something that stupid."

Jathen sat down in one of the office chairs and leaned back against the wall. "Find what you were looking for?"

Snow half-heartedly looked at the memory scan. "Not quite. But you're clean." She moved toward Tan by the cell door. "Tan, Please. I can really use your help here. The AOCC will pay you handsomely...and anyone else that you can recruit to help us. You will be considered heroes. Maybe even have a shot at living inside."

Tan looked away, but Jathen sat straight up.

Tan let out a long sigh. "Maybe we can get some of the Border Patrol to help. I'll send out the word, but don't expect much—"

"I'll come..." Jathen said. "For the right price that is. You guarantee me full citizenship in the city...I'm yours."

Snow looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. "You didn't seem all that cooperative before. Why the change?"

"You offered to give me exactly what I'm looking for. I might not go along with everything people ask me to do... but I can be bought."

"...OK... and you have experience in this sort of thing?" asked Snow.

"Well, as a matter of fact I do."

"Please humor me."

"I ran some Feral hunts out west."

Tan looked shocked. "Hunts? As in, you actually went out looking for those things?"

"Yeah, on occasion. We wanted to fight back, thin their ranks, you know, have some fun."

"No, I don't know," said Tan. "We protect ourselves here. You guys out west must be crazy. Getting ripped apart by monsters doesn't sound that fun to me. We aren't going outside the borders around here unless absolutely necessary—"

"Well, this is necessary," Snow interrupted. "And I'll take what I can get, even if it is this cocky, ego-maniac. Just remember, I can't guarantee you anything if we fail. I expect your full cooperation and support."

37 Jathen

The next morning, Tan had managed to gather up three men who would go on the mission, plus himself.

"Here are all the guys that are willing to go on this crazy mission. I can't believe I'm going to do it myself," said Tan. "This is Wilcox, Samms and Ashton."

"Glad to meet you all. Thank you for your help," said Snow. "We want to be stealthy anyway. A larger group might not be the best approach."

Jathen had gone home to get some sleep and had come back just before the others arrived. As he stood near the group he realized he felt a touch sluggish.

He looked around at the men in front of him. They all appeared young and fit, but one or two had bags under their eyes. Maybe some kind of flu-bug was going around.

He hoped they could handle themselves in battle, because he was sure they would run into a fight past the borders.

He walked up and introduced himself to the three Border Patrol men. Samms was short and quiet. Wilcox seemed like he could be a cool dude, but looked a little more tired than Jathen felt. Ashton was the most energetic. He actually seemed half-way excited about the mission. At about six foot four, Ashton looked down at Jathen to explain his cause. "I just got engaged, man. This opportunity is going to help me and my girlfriend out. I know it's dangerous and all, but it's just too good to pass up."

Jathen shook Ashton's hand. "I'm in agreement with you there, buddy. Glad to meet ya."

He wasn't totally crazy about finding himself ready to go back out into Feral country. Ironically, he was actually rather happy about his situation. Considering it was going to provide the very thing he coveted the most, a chance at full citizenship within the city. Maybe even going ahead and still trying to join E-Squad. It still seemed to fit.

When he left Cleveland, he figured he wouldn't see the inside again until his next MMA match. Never in his wildest dream did he think he would meet an E-Squader outside. And even under the strange circumstances of being questioned for murder, he still wound up coming out on top. He felt very fortunate.

He looked at the woman that was giving him his opportunity, all dressed in her white military suit. She looked hot.

"Thank you all for stepping up," said Snow. "You will be paid well for your efforts. I have spoken to my superiors and beyond payment, you shall all have the opportunity to move inside the city...as long as we are able to complete our mission. In which case, failure is not an option. So consider yourselves citizens of Cleveland."

She glanced at Jathen and he gave her his sarcastic, crooked smile. He couldn't tell if that pissed her off or if she actually liked it. But he certainly liked what she just said.

She continued. "Our mission is to recover a small canister sized object and return it to Cleveland. We will need to go outside the border and into Feral territory with our destination falling just inside the pre-border wars area. We think we are traveling toward an old farm that may or may not still be there, and we have no idea what to expect when we arrive. We will be traveling through the forest, so we'll be walking the whole way. You all appear as if you are ready to go, and since time is of the essence, we are leaving immediately."

The men were dressed in standard issue AOCC military fatigues, carbon fiber chest reinforcement with neck protection—covering all the vital parts that the Ferals would attack. Each wore a matching helmet with a clear visor and a standard-issue back-pack. Jathen wore something similar covering the vital parts, but his armor was reinforced in other areas—around the shoulders and arms—and less restrictive so he could move easier. His helmet looked entirely different, shaped like an ancient Spartan headpiece, dark black and menacing, yet contemporarily made of lightweight material with a metal plume.

"Nice helmet, Fields," said Snow.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a warrior, may as well look the part."

"I see you own your own set of armor. Do you carry a rifle like the others?"

"No, Ma'am. I do my fighting up close and personal. With these..." He reached behind his back and withdrew an ornate set of two-and-a-half foot long blades. Not quite swords, he clipped the base of each around his forearm, and gripped a handle that fastened below each blade. They formed a comfortable-looking bladed extension of his arms. The ornate inner edge of the blade looked deadly sharp and it curved inward slightly ending in a lethal point. "These babies do the damage for me. They haven't had the chance to sing in awhile." He looked up at her devilishly.

She looked back at him doubtfully.

"How about you, Ice Princess?" he asked. "If we're going out into the field of battle, I like to know what I'm dealing with. As I understand, you're the Queen of Cold. Let's see what you can do with those pee-shooters attached to your wrists there."

Snow looked around for a target, and then nodded at a rusty, old holo-clerk vending machine against the wall of the nearest building. She took aim with one arm and let loose a hail of ice shards that buried themselves into the machine. She continued to fire as she raised the other arm and added another stream of deadly sharp projectiles. The machine took a serious pounding of ice projectiles, but Snow pushed on. The rate of fire increased and the air began to get cooler around the small group of men. After about twenty seconds the machine had turned unrecognizable and the wall itself had taken a serious beating.

"Satisfactory?" said Snow.

All five men including Jathen and Tan gave a short round of applause.

Jathen was impressed. She did some serious damage. However, he couldn't help but notice that her special suit acted erratic. The pulsing blue light that surged through it flickered. He hoped that wouldn't be a problem.

She acted as if nothing was wrong, so he let it be. "OK, You pass," he told her.

"I'm glad I meet your approval," said Snow. She turned to address the rest of the small group. "All right, boys, lets head out. Tan you have our coordinates, correct? Please lead the way."

Jathen doubted any of these people had ever seen a Feral up close. He knew that was about to change.

38 Snow

The small group of six left the confines of the Columbus walls and headed South. The barren landscape had grown past the settled part of town and pushed out expanding the Dead Zone ever further. Scattered old structures littered the way as they traveled down the hard dusty ground. Just on the outskirts of the old downtown Columbus area, they could clearly see the steel framework of the old buildings that reached up from the ground and created a forgotten, skeletal skyline.

"This place is a ghost town, no one has been out here for years. It's unsafe," said Tan.

They had only been traveling for a short time when they reached the barren, old skyscrapers. They peered up at the deserted ghost town of buildings towering above them, watching for anything suspicious. They found it hard to walk through the piles of debris, rusted old frames of cars, and fallen I-beams. The downtown area had long been deserted by any civilized folks and had turned into a maze of rusted, metal and concrete. Unfortunately, it remained the straightest route to reach the group's destination, and Snow wanted to get to the core as soon as possible.

Making their way through the tangled metal obstacle course, they all stood on edge, keeping a sharp eye for anything out of the ordinary. Occasionally someone would see a glimpse of movement, possibly an animal or most likely a nomad.

"Tell me about these Nomads, Tan." Asked Snow.

"Nomads are half-crazed people that lived on their own, away from any sort of town. Usually they live in small groups, as scavengers. I would think it's a dangerous style of life for an Outsider. Nomads are easy targets for Ferals. Some of the more resourceful ones may stay alive, but their life expectancy has to be slim. I like my tall grey walls just fine."

Snow thought it may be possible for a Nomad or two to live in the labyrinth of steel and stone that surrounded them, but she didn't give it much thought. She was more concerned about the Feral and the core.

They came upon one of the fallen buildings that blocked their direct path. The crumpled steel frame had caved in on itself and fallen across the road. The steel beams created a tangle of metal that would pose a difficult obstacle for the group to pass through.

As Snow contemplated the time it would take to walk around the twisted clump of rusted metal, Jathen said, "This should be fun, a giant jungle gym. The kiddies would have a ball on this thing."

"Yeah, this is just where I'd want my kids to play." Snow replied with a snort. "Let's get moving people, we can take a small break on the other side."

They each began to climb and duck their way through the huge husk of fallen building. The slow pace took them more time than Snow wanted. She would climb up one beam only to be blocked by another. She found it hard work finding a safe way through. Steel barbs protruded everywhere, making it difficult not to get scraped and bruised.

Wilcox, one of the Border Patrol soldiers climbed up and over a large chunk of concrete and lost his footing. He fell to the side and accidentally fired a round from his assault rifle. The shot flew directly toward Jathen's head. Somehow he managed to move to the side with inhuman-like speed, and the bullet passed by, ricocheting off the beam behind him.

Jathen was not happy. "Why don't you watch what the fuck you're doing. Don't they train you people at all over here."

Wilcox picked himself up off a rusty I-beam looking rather embarrassed. He kept his eyes looking downward. "Sorry, sir. I'll be more careful from now on. I'm kind of used to just sitting at the top of the guard tower, but my wife is sick and I'm hoping we get the chance to move inside, where she can get better."

Jathen let it slide. "Just pay more attention. OK?"

"Yes, sir," said the man.

Snow moved over to where Jathen stood. "I watched that shot barely miss you. How did you move that fast?"

Jathen looked back at where the bullet had hit. "I don't know, I just reacted. I guess I just thought about moving out of the way and I did."

"I know that you are an Ultra, but you do things like no one I have ever seen. Do you even know what your gift is?"

He turned and began to continue climbing through the tangled mess. "My gift is staying alive....And winning a fight or two in the process."

"Yeah I know you can fight, but what can you do, that others can't? Take me for instance; I can lower my body temperature. I can lower it so low that I can create ice from water. What can you do?" she asked as she ducked under a mess of steel wires.

"I think about moving fast or hitting hard, and that's what happens. It's almost like I can move my fists or my feet with only a thought. Not using muscles, using my brain. Does that make sense?"

Snow tried to imagine it. "I guess so, it's an interesting ability. Hope you can use it in a pinch."

"Don't worry, missy. I'll do my part," he said as he ducked under a beam and pulled himself up onto another.

The group made it out of the fallen building and decided it was a good time to take a small rest, and grab a quick bite. They all sat down and unwrapped some of the foil packaged, processed food they had brought along. Snow munched on an apple, probably the last one she would have for a few days. It was a hot day and the break was welcome.

"You know, I'm actually feeling a little stronger out here," said Ashton, one of the other soldiers. "I haven't felt this good in about a year."

"Yes, we've begun to move outside the Dead Zone. There must be some truth to that whole rumor about it sapping your strength," said Snow.

Ashton swallowed a bite of the power bar he was eating. "Yeah, something must seriously be wrong back in town. I need to get my girlfriend and my dad out of there. Will they let me take my dad inside when we are done with the mission?"

Snow looked at him. "I really can't answer that, Ashton. When we all make it back, I'll see what I can do. I remember you mentioned that you were engaged, I'm guessing that if you get married, they would have to let you bring your wife."

"Guess we'll be moving the wedding date up," he said, splashing some water on his neck.

As she bit off a chunk of the apple, Snow noticed some movement farther down the broken street. She squinted her eyes to try and make it out. She stopped chewing and mumbled, "Something is coming."

Everyone jumped to their feet, alert and ready for action.

They watched as a man approached with his hands raised. He wore a long, dirty AOCC military-issue jacket, patched in many places. His legs were covered with a loose fitting pair of pants with strips of cloth wrapped around his shins. He walked down the road noisily in large boots that clopped with each step. A dusty pair of old sunglasses covered his eyes. As he got closer, Snow could see a patch under the sunglasses, covering his left eye.

He waved his hand in the air, "Hello, AOCC!" He called out.

The team spread out, letting him continue toward them. He seemed harmless enough.

"No need for alarm," said the man. "I come in peace. Just look'n for some news from the free world."

He continued walking until he came close enough to talk in a normal voice, but he kept a short distance from them. "Name's Sergeant Jessup Clatch. We been here holding the border for years. We wondered if you'all forgot about us."

Snow looked at his dirty jacket and realized that it was indeed an AOCC military jacket—the style worn back in the Border Wars. She wasn't sure if he was crazy or what, so she decided to humor him. "Hello, Sergeant. My name is Agent Snow. We are just passing through on our way south."

He shook his head. "You don't want to be go'n that away. This here is the last outpost before you get into the wild. Beyond here is Feral territory."

"Yes we know," she said. "We are on a special mission and we are required to enter into Feral lands." She changed the subject quickly. "How long have you been stationed here, soldier? Have you had any communication with the inside?"

"What's inside? We been holding this position here for about thirty-two years. We don't get many visitors, so that's why I came out to see you folks."

"Thirty-two years? Who stationed you here, Sergeant?"

"We've been doing our duty for years. We make do... and keep the border safe for the human race."

Snow stepped back and spoke softly to Tan. "Have you heard of any Border Patrol outposts out here?"

"None. Didn't know there was anyone living out here."

"Hmm. This guy might be a bit delusional," she said.

"He's probably just some crazy Nomad, with a bunch of imaginary friends," said Tan

Jathen moved close so he could speak low. "No he's not. There are others here. They are keeping out of site, but I've counted four of them."

Snow didn't like this. "Sergeant, how many of you are there?"

"There are twenty-nine of us in full. We are eighteen strong with the ones that are old enough to fight. We've made our home here. Protecting the border. What news can you tell us?"

She wasn't sure what to say. "Things are good. You have been doing a great job out here. We wish there were more Border Patrols like yourselves." She looked around trying to find any kind of movement.

"Thanks. It's our life's duty. We are proud to serve the AOCC. But can't you tell us a little more? How goes the war effort? Is there ever going to be a planned counter attack? Anything new on the front of the military?"

Snow knew she needed to tread carefully here. "The war effort is at a stalemate. As you know, from the borders you protect, we keep within the borders and keep the Ferals out. Our defenses have proven too good for the monsters to penetrate. All of you have helped in that account. Most of the military has moved out west to help in their efforts. And as far as I know, there have been no assaults planned. We will most certainly contact you if any mobilization happens. Do you have any form of communication?"

"We have some radio and cell equipment that had stopped working some time back. That's why I'm asking you now." He pulled out a tarnished handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Well, I have given you all the information at my disposal. You can carry on, Sergeant. We are on a tight schedule and we need to be pushing on."

Sergeant Clatch rubbed his stubbly chin. "Hold on, we may be of some help. If you insist on moving into the Feral lands, I can send one of our own as a scout." He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly. "Jake, come on down."

Before they knew it, some movement from above revealed another man sliding down a long pole from the crumbling building to the left. He hit the ground and casually jogged up to Sergeant Clatch.

The older man spoke softly to the newcomer. After a short conversation he spoke to the team. "It's a dangerous place out there, and we know the land pretty well. Jake here has agreed to accompany you outside the borders."

Snow began to object, but the sergeant stopped her. "Please ma'am, no disrespect, but we insist. You must understand that this is a great honor to this young fella." He put his arm around the younger man's shoulder.

Snow thought about it. What's the harm? It's his own grave if that's what he wants. Maybe this kid actually knew the land and could speed up the search. She looked him over. He couldn't be more than around seventeen or eighteen. He wore a bulky looking vest, probably a form of Kevlar, with a pistol strapped to his side and a rifle strung over his shoulder. A backpack sagged on his back and an old military issue AOCC helmet sat on his head. Kid probably grew up out here.

He makes it lucky number seven. That's a number I've always liked.

"OK, we accept your offer. We can use a scout. Welcome aboard, kid." She kept her voice down low and spoke to Tan. "Let's keep an eye on him, I don't want any funny business. Just in case."

39 Swelter

Swelter spent the night at the local motel. He wanted to get out and have a look around his old stomping grounds, but he didn't need another run-in with the old gang. That would definitely not end well for them. He decided it would be best to keep a low profile and wait for his team in his room, taking the extra time to prepare for the mission.

A flood of memories rushed back to him as he sat in his lonely motel room, thinking about the past and the things he had done. He spent a restless night thinking and dreaming about the old gang.

After separating from Snow, he had needed to wait for his team to arrive. He used the extra time to set up his plan of attack. He was the least experienced of E-Squad, but he was not going to let that stop him from being prepared.

Two soldiers from the Columbus Border Patrol were the first to arrive at the dispatch point. They were assigned to help in the Feral investigation. These two men looked tired and ragged, like they hadn't slept in days. Swelter took one look at them and knew something was wrong. He asked them if they were fit for duty and they both seemed willing, so he left it at that.

Soon, the AOCC troops from inside arrived on the magna-rail. The soldiers occupied a full train car equipped for transporting AOCC military. Swelter felt a twinge of butterflies in his stomach as he and the two Border Patrolmen boarded the train; he had never been put in a leadership position.

Swelter hated being in the commanding role. It never worked for him like it did for Snow and Granite. Because of his unusual ability as an Ultra, he had been thrown into a role that didn't suit his personality or desires. He preferred undercover work and straight action. Now, as he stepped forward to get the men's attention, he feared they sensed his weaknesses.

He thought it would be a good idea to address the team before they set out, so he didn't hesitate and headed straight toward the front of the train car. As he moved through the rows of seats, toward the hollow screen and the small podium, he felt as if he was watching himself from outside his body. He just kept moving and tried not to think about it, nerves were not going to stop him. He continued to the front of the car and stepped behind the podium.

He turned and looked out over the twenty men under his command. To his surprise, no one was paying any attention to him.

"Alright people, can I have your attention please? Um... excuse me, you in the back, your attention please. Thank you. I just want to go over a few things."

He could feel a lump in his throat grow as he began to speak. "As you all know this is an investigation about a fallen outpost. Those are the words of the AOCC, 'an Investigation.' That may be what they are calling it, but we all know better. This is going to be a fight, gentlemen." His voice felt higher than usual, but as he continued to speak he felt his tension begin to relax.

"Make no mistake, we will come into contact with the Ferals, and I want everyone to be prepared and know their role in the mission. First we will be stopping in Warren and picking up our ground transportation. The train doesn't go as far as we need it to, so we will be traveling on Ground Transportation Units, GTVs. Once we arrive in Meadville, we will break into three teams, two sweeping parties and one reserve."

He swiped his hand over the holo-computer and an image of the mission popped up on the screen behind him. "You can see what I want here." The schematic of the town showed the positions of each party and how they would proceed. "I will lead Alpha team, Sergeant Sandress will lead Beta in a flanking position and Sergeant Annolski will be in reserve. We will go in, sweep the outpost, and engage any Ferals resistance. Be on the lookout for any survivors." He paused and leaned forward on the podium. "Do not kill any humans. Once we have confirmation that the post has been cleared, we will establish defensive positions."

He looked around the room at the seriousness on all their faces. He felt as if he had made a decent first showing. It felt good. ". I want it clean and fast. This is not a drill or a test. Let's get this done right. No casualties. Be at your best. Are there any questions?"

No one seemed to move. "No? OK. Continue as you were."

He knew he could probably improve on his delivery, but he thought he got the point across. Once they were on the ground, he could lead by example.

He tried to relax on the trip to Warren, but the anxiety of the mission kept him awake. Man, I'm sick of worrying about this crap, just let me get in there and burn up some Ferals. The waiting is killing me... too many what if questions bouncing around in the old noggin.

Being his first solo mission, he wanted to get it right. He had always had the support of his rock-hard leader, Granite, but the big man wouldn't be here to back him up this time. Swelter tried to be confident; he didn't want to let anyone down.

Arriving in Warren, he needed to arrange for the transportation. He took two men with him and left the others to unload and ready the equipment for travel.

Warren was similar to Columbus, but not as large and even more ramshackled. The town was extremely dusty and dry, with dirt covering the sides of most of the buildings. The transportation rental shop fell just outside of the train station. Swelter and his men jogged through the windswept dust clouds to get to the rusty derelict shop.

As Swelter stepped inside, he noticed the woman behind the counter sitting back in her chair with her mouth gaping open and her head tilted back, obviously fast asleep. Her graying hair had been pulled into a loose ponytail leaving curly strands fraying out to the sides. Her yellowish-white blouse had probably been white at some point and hung loosely on her bony shoulders.

"Excuse me Ma'am?" asked Swelter.

The woman sat forward rather startled. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have faded off for a minute. Can I help you?"

"My name is Agent Swelter; we are here to pick up the vehicles you should have prepared for us."

She picked up her dusty digital notebook and scanned through the directory, all the while fiddling with a chipped, plastic, golden beaded necklace that hung around her neck. "Hmm, I don't see anything here. What exactly is it that you need?"

Swelter looked at the woman annoyed. "You're telling me no one notified you that we were coming?"

"I don't see anything. So... no, I'm sorry. But we may be able to help; what do you need?"

"We need transportation for twenty-three people including some heavy equipment. We were told we could expect GTVs"

She touched the pad in several places, "OK... here we go. I think we can do that. It might be a tight fit. Where are you traveling to?"

"Meadville."

The woman looked up from the pad and stared at him. "Umm... Meadville has been taken by Ferals. Why would you want to go there?"

Swelter looked at her intensely—how did this woman know about the attack, and even stranger, why was she so nonchalant about the ordeal? "Yes, we know," he said with a tiny bit of annoyance in his voice. "We are here to investigate the situation."

She looked back down at her digital pad. "Well I wouldn't be going that way if I were you. you're going to go over there and get yourselves killed."

Swelter did not like the comment. "Lady, what do we look like to you? We are AOCC military."

The lady yawned. "Your funeral." She made some adjustments on her notepad. "The boys will have the vehicles for you in a few minutes. Sign here, please."

He snatched up a pen, signed and fingerprinted the notepad. "You don't have to worry. We're trained for this type of thing."

"Who's worried? I'm too tired to worry. It's just a matter of time before they come here. When they do, I'll just let it happen, then maybe I can get some rest."

Swelter didn't respond. He didn't understand some people. It was like they didn't even have any fight left in them. That wasn't him. He would fight until the very end, even if that end came in Meadville.

40 Snow

Snow had showed their new young scout the precise destination they were trying to reach, and he had redirected them on a slightly different course. The one he chose was longer, but less dangerous. He had picked out a place where they would be able to stay through the night and reach their target by the following day.

They had made it out of the old Columbus downtown area and entered a forested area. With the Dead Zone well behind them, and being in midsummer, the vegetation engulfed them in full bloom. Places that had once been roads or towns had been mostly overgrown. Mother nature had taken back control.

Snow had never been in a real forest. It took her by surprise how much more vivid the real thing was, with all the green colors and being so full of life. She knew she needed to stay focused and alert, but this outside world was so alive and wonderful. So many trees of different shapes and sizes surrounded her, leaves and vines, plants and flowers.

The smell of the woods was like nothing she had experienced either, fresh and layered with different scents. She could hear the rustle of the leaves as the occasional breeze swept through, and the closer she looked at things, the more she saw. Insects and birds flew through the air, while small creatures scampered about on the forest floor. As she looked up at the sunlight radiating down onto a small mound of white flowers, she understood why so many of the outsiders didn't want to live within the protective bubble of Sky Canopy. The outside world was a dazzling place. She wished that she could spend more time just watching the forest.

As she observed her surroundings, a wailing cry echoed in the distance breaking her trance. A howl? Deeper than a wolf—less majestic and angrier—the sound jerked her back to reality. The small group immediately crouched low with Jake in the lead. He motioned for them to be silent. Another howl followed, this one much closer.

As she knelt near the ground, Snow flipped down her visor and shifted her white suite to a darker version. White could be seen too easily in the forest. Best to look more camouflaged. She switched her view to a thermal version, but couldn't locate the sound.

They waited several minutes before Jake motioned for them to move ahead. They took special care not to make any noise. Snow found it hard to walk through a forest silently, as twigs and leaves crackled under each step she took. She winced as a stick made a loud pop under her foot. She hoped her clumsiness wouldn't give away their position.

Jathen moved up alongside her and tried to show her how to move, but it was still difficult. Even Tan seemed to do a better job than her. They moved in this manner for some time, but soon picked back up the pace and continued normally. Snow felt relieved to walk without caution.

"They were probably on a hunt," Jake said. "Must have been too far away to detect us. That's always a good thing."

Jake moved them around the forest within a strategic path. He moved them up on a ridge, then back down into a small creek valley. He circled around certain areas and rushed through others. His path was calculated. He had done this before, keeping everyone on alert for the rest of the afternoon journey. Speaking was very limited, as they kept moving. Once in awhile they stopped and listened, but they didn't hear any other howls or see any monsters.

The overgrown forest still contained remnants of yesteryear everywhere. Old foundations of homes, rusted husks of old vehicles and patches of decaying asphalt roads were sprinkled throughout the trees.

A small separation in the forest revealed a bridge that passed high above a stream below. Fading patches of road entered and exited the bridge, creating a standalone structure covered in vines and vegetation. The fading, rusty metal and concrete appeared unsafe, but the group's path forced them to cross.

A led the way forward carefully. "We are going to need to cross this bridge if we want to be hasty. The only other way around is several miles down from here. It would take us the majority of the day to get down and back."

Snow peered over the sheer edge of the cliff and then looked back at the bridge. "Can we get across that thing? It looks like a strong gust of wind might finish it off."

Ashton stood next to her and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, man. Looks pretty bad, but it's your call."

She stepped onto the concrete and started the mild ascent onto the bridge. "Let do it."

Snow let Jake take the lead. Quick and light on his feet, Jake sprung up onto the old, bulky bridge and skipped onto a patch of bare, rusted metal. "Follow my lead and I'll get you across, I've made it before. Stay away from the far left. There's a tricky part up ahead, but I'll show you what to do."

Snow hesitated and looked back at the other five men. They didn't object, so she followed Jake. Making sure to watch where she placed each foot, she mimicked his every step. She knew that this bridge had once been part of the freeways that stretched across the nation. She tried to picture what it might have looked like with all the gas-powered cars moving back and forth. Such a different time from when she had grown up.

She looked out over the green landscape as the trees rose and fell over the hills into the distance. We used to be able to live anywhere out here. Sergeant Clatch had asked her about the war efforts... the war is over and we have lost. The Ferals control most of the world. We protect ourselves in a few small spots scattered throughout the planet. Is this all that is left for us... our city in a bubble? She cleared her head and tried to stay focused on the mission at hand. Recover the core first, girl, everything else can wait.

She saw Jake moving just up ahead. One second he was there, and then suddenly he disappeared. Her heart skipped a beat and she rushed forward thinking he had fallen. A large gap in the concrete dropped to a second level where the support columns met the steel. Jake stood waiting for her just below.

"You'll have to jump down, just make sure you clear the second gap."

Snow looked down and saw a second hole that dropped all the way to the ground. "I take it this is the tricky part," she called down.

"Yep. It'll be easy going after this."

She waited until the others caught up. Jathen peered down over the gap, then crouched and jumped down to where Jake stood waiting. He made it look effortless. It had to be around twelve feet or so across and probably six feet down.

Jathen called back up. "Make sure you get enough speed before you jump or you'll be flapping your arms with the birdies."

"Such a nice way to put it. Thanks for the advice, Jathen," said Tan as he looked down the hole.

"O.K., one at a time people," said Snow.

Wilcox got a running start and vaulted out and down to the next level. Ashton and Samms followed. Tan asked Snow to go next, but she insisted on him going first. "I can't believe you got me out here doing this shit," he said. He started to run forward and just as he planted his foot to jump, the concrete at the edge gave way. The momentum carried him across, but he landed with a thud as his stomach impacted into the far edge, leaving his feet dangling in the open air.

Snow gasped, she could see him losing his grip and sliding off the edge, but Jathen was there. He grabbed Tan by the wrists and hoisted him up. Patting him on the back as Tan tried to catch his breath, Jathen said, "We might need to get you a parachute for the trip back, buddy."

Tan didn't look amused.

Snow made sure her footing was good, and then jumped across safely. They circled the column and climbed a rusty, old ladder back to the top of the bridge before they continued. Jake apologized to Tan many times as they finished crossing the old highway bridge. Just before they disappeared back into the forest, Snow took one last look out into the green sea of trees. Someday, she thought and ducked back into the foliage.

Around four o'clock, the heat had reached its hottest point during the day. Snow ordered the group to keep moving instead of taking a break. She wanted them to push on toward Jake's campsite. The young man assured her that they could make it there before the nightfall.

Jake had fallen toward the back of the group to speak with Jathen quietly. The two found that they had something in common in their knowledge of the Ferals. Snow could tell Jathen was impressed by the boy's courage to lead them out into the Feral territory. He showed respect and his sarcasm even tapered. The boy impressed her also; he knew the Ferals well—their routines, their hunting grounds... he did his best to avoid them. So far it had worked.

While Jathen and Jake spoke in the back of the group, Snow had been instructed to move forward in a general southern direction. They had come up to a riverbed and the last bit of the evening sun warmed the river shore before it retired for the evening.

She had gotten a bit ahead of the group and walked out of the forest and onto the rocky surface of the riverbed when she stopped abruptly.

A grayish-green humanoid figure lay sprawled out on a large boulder just a few feet in front of her. She immediately recognized the creature from her virtual training. Soaking up the evening sun on the rocks, it hadn't noticed her. Slightly ahead of the others, she found herself alone with the Feral.

Its alien face peered out into space with small, beady, black eyes under a thick menacing brow. A long thin mouth stretched wide across its face. Its head jutted back and protruded out from the back of a thick, muscular neck. Two small slits fell under its jaw line looking like fish gills, Snow knew it was how they tracked the scent of human blood, the slits were like nostrils.

The creature's skin appeared like a cross between scales and tree bark, covering a slender, powerful body with long muscled limbs. Its thick, bony chest and shoulders gave the monster a natural set of armor. Each sinewy arm ended in three long claws about four inches in length.

It's eyes were open, but it appeared docile. She looked around and didn't see any other Ferals. She went to take a step back to warn the rest of the group, when the stones under her feet made a noise that stirred the monster. It jerked up like a bird from its nest.

The monster didn't hesitate. It sprang from the boulder and launched itself at Snow. She didn't expect it to be able to jump as far as it did. She raised her arm to fire as the creature sailed through the air. She saw it open its wide mouth and roll it's jaws out like a great white shark revealing rows of sharp teeth.

She got off several shots that struck the creature in the chest before she had to duck her head. Its mouth missed its target and closed with a snap, as the rest of its body crashed into her. She rolled with the monster's momentum as they fell to the ground. She sobbed it off of her and scrambled backwards.

The Feral moved quicker than Snow and was back on its feet in a hurry. It crouched, ready to rush her again. She saw it all in slow motion. She tried to bring her arms around, but she knew it would be too late. The monster had the drop on her.

She saw its muscles contract to explode forward, when Jathen emerged from the forest. The Feral turned toward its new threat, but Jathen closed the gap quickly. He gracefully swung his arm with the blade attached and sliced off the monster's head. It landed with a heavy thud and the body followed.

Snow breathed heavily, looking up at Jathen, who stood protectively above her, watching for any other Ferals. He reached down and extended his hand to help her up. "We almost had one less E-Squader there, princess. Let's try to be more careful."

A bit shaken from the attack and the ferociousness of the monster, Snow got back to her feet slowly. She may have been able to kill the thing on her own, but in all actuality, Jathen had saved her. She didn't say anything to him, her pride was too strong. She should have been able to take the thing on without his help.

Jake and the others caught up also. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Snow," said Jake. "I should have warned you that they like to sun themselves at this time of day."

"It's alright, kid. You've been doing a good job so far. I should have been more cautious myself. That won't happen again."

They reached their destination about two hours later with no other encounters with Ferals. Jake led them down into a gorge filled with rocky cliffs, tall hemlock trees and a stream that fed into a larger body of water farther down. Near the back of the gorge was a large hollowed out space—almost a cave. A huge rock jutted out over top, partly enclosing the rocky cliff walls. The group could use the spot as a defensive position by covering the perimeter around the open part of the hollowed-out pocket of stone.

They ate cold meals, taking no chances by lighting a fire, speaking only in low voices to keep their position secret. Ashton kept whispering about how ugly the Feral was up close. He had obviously never seen one as close as the one Jathen had killed.

They decided to have two people stand guard in shifts throughout the night. Snow took the first shift, too wired from the day's events to sleep.

Almost dark, somewhere around nine-thirty, Snow could see Jake standing guard on the other side of the gorge. She sat near the very back of the crevice where a small waterfall poured into a pool of water, before trickling down through the rocky crag. She sat near the pool, dipping her bare hand in the water with circular motions, each swirl creating chunks of ice that floated away downstream. Occasionally, she would extend her other arm and fire a shard of ice at an old withered Hemlock tree. The shots were silent, not much more than a swish of air, but the tree had begun to look marred.

Jathen approached her from behind. She could hear him coming, but she didn't turn to face him. She just stared into the pool.

"Hey, don't worry about what happened earlier. You got surprised by one of the most ruthless killers this world has ever seen. Could've happened to anyone."

She didn't answer right away. She was a proud woman. Nearly losing her life that quick to just one Feral, was unacceptable. "I'm not just anyone. I'm trained to be able to handle this sort of thing. I should have taken that thing out as soon as I saw it."

"Your first real encounter, wasn't it?"

She nodded.

"I've seen a lot of people freeze in your shoes... freeze and die. You're still here, so don't think you did anything wrong."

"I know, I'm just supposed to be one of the saviors for the human race, one of the people that can fight back against those things. I'm equipped with special weapons and powers. I've had hours of virtual training."

"What... In those black rooms, with the suits on... Come on... I tried one of those a few days ago and believe me, it's not like the real thing." He picked up a small stone and skipped it lightly across the pool of water.

"Think of it this way, now you've had real experience. You saw how fast and strong they are. Be ready next time. Fill that thing full of those ice crystals. Don't get down on yourself, because you will get another chance."

He started to go back to camp. "Hell, I should have let you fight it out with that thing. You would have taken it down, I'm sure of it."

She stood up. "Hey, Fields. Thanks for saving me. I would probably be dead right now if not for you."

He just smiled at her with his crooked smile. "Don't worry, Snow, I've got your back." He turned and headed back to camp.

Fields could be an asshole at times, but in this instant, he made her feel better about what happened. She got up and crept over to where Jake leaned up against a tree.

"Hey, kid."

"Hey, Snow. What's up?" He quickly straightened his posture.

"Just going over in my mind how I could have better dealt with that Feral.

Jake didn't respond. He just stared back at her.

"Nothing that should concern you. Anyway, how many times have you been out here in these woods?" she asked.

"Too many to count. I've been coming out here since I was about twelve or thirteen. I know this place pretty well, and I know how to stay alive." He picked up his water canteen and fiddled with the cap.

"That's obvious. I sure am glad we ran into you and the sergeant."

"He's not really a sergeant you know." He took a sip of water.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that. Tell me about how you guys came to live way out here."

"Well, it's not really that far away. I mean... we go into the town to get some supplies every now and then. We just made our home out in those old buildings. We like it out there. We protect the border and it gives us purpose."

"But you're not actually part of the guard. Why do you do it?" She leaned against one of the other trees and crossed her arms.

"Way my pops tells it, he was actually part of the AOCC military at one time. He and his troop fought in the Border Wars and were in an ugly battle right where we live now—in the old downtown Columbus area. The majority of the military pulled out and left a sergeant in charge of a small fighting force; their orders were to stay and hold the line. One night a large Feral war party attacked their position and forced them back into the old buildings. They found a good defensive position, and were able to hold off the monsters.

He turned the canteen over and over in his hands keeping them busy. Snow guessed she made him nervous. He continued. "They set up camp in the area and soon began to explore the old buildings. Luckily, they found a large survival stash of supplies, both food and ammo. We still use the ammo today. We don't know how it got there or when, but it's still in good shape and has helped us to survive.

"After months of waiting for the AOCC to come and relieve my father's troop, the group of nine women and fifteen men started to make a home within the old buildings. They talked about marching back to headquarters, but they decided to stay and do their duty. The AOCC never came back and my father's troop settled in.

"There's only seven of the original troop left. All the others either got killed or moved on. We have twenty-nine people that live with us. Eighteen can fight. I'm the oldest of fourteen kids. We like where we live, and we have great honor in continuing to defend the rest of humanity."

Snow felt rather mesmerized. "That is a wonderful story, Jake. I am proud to have met you and your father. You live an honorable life. Some day when we get back, I would like to show you where I live. I live on the inside of the city of Cleveland. Have you heard of it?"

He shook his head.

"Well, it's a place where you won't need to worry about Ferals anymore. It's a place where you and your whole family could come and live in peace and enjoy things you've never experienced before."

The boy smiled at the thought. "I like it out here, but I'd also like to be safe."

Snow patted him on the back. "Same here, kid, same here. Thanks for giving me your history. It's almost time for our shift to end, make sure you get some sleep, OK?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said as he leaned back against the tree.

Sometime later, as Snow slept back in her corner of the cave, a hand shook her awake. Tan stood over her with his finger over his mouth, indicating for her to keep quiet. Wilcox had awakened the others and Tan motioned for Snow to listen.

At first all she could hear was the sound of the stream as it gurgled by, but then she heard something moving above them. On the cliffs above was a rustling noise, like footsteps, and more than one set... a lot more.

She signaled for everyone to take up defensive positions. She could feel her heart beating and she immediately lowered her body temperature. It calmed her racing heart and readied her for action. Round two mother fuckers, bring it on. She told herself to be prepared, but dread filled her mind. She knew this was a fight they wanted to avoid.

They waited silently, all on edge, only Jathen looked relaxed. Several seconds lasted an eternity as the sound of the stream became deafening. She strained her ears for anything. Where they about to attack? A sound of movement farther down the gorge shifted her attention.

She remembered her equipment, flipped on her night vision visor and the gorge lit up with green light. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first, and then she noticed a small herd of deer. They had been drinking from the stream and had begun to move back out of the gorge.

Suddenly, a splash echoed through the ledge and then another and another. The deer bolted down the chasm trying to get to safety. Snow couldn't see what was happening as the deer all ran around the bend and out of sight, but a thrashing and splashing sound followed by a loud roar told her all she needed to know.

More movement on top of the cliff and more splashes farther down the gorge followed. The footsteps above hurried off toward the splashing sounds. She heard more howls farther away and they continued to fade into the distance. It was over as quick as it had begun.

Snow motioned for everyone to lower their weapons and they all settled back in for the remainder of the night. Everyone seemed wide-awake after the commotion and Snow hoped they could all settle down enough to continue to rest. She didn't know what may or may not happen when they reached their destination. The recovery of the core was paramount, but she had no way to plan for what they might face. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep.

41 Granite

Back inside the city, Granite had been busy fortifying the generator. He had doubled the amount of men for security and equipped every room with extra cameras and motion detectors. The dark ninja's teleportation equipment had also been taken into account, and although it was impossible to stop him from entering the facility, they could stop him from entering the core containment center. By placing an interior shield not unlike the outside force field that protected the city, Granite was confident that it would be impossible to breach.

Granite took up a spot just on the outside of the double doors that led into the core containment center. Anyone who wanted to enter that room had to go through him first.

Ronaldo Huff stood with his hands on his hips. His suit jacket unbuttoned and his necktie loosened, signified his obvious frustration with the situation. He had come to the facility to see what progress had been made. He met with the lead scientist just outside the core containment center, while Granite stood guard.

Granite stood motionlessly listening to the conversation.

"You're telling me we've made no progress whatsoever?" Ronaldo asked the scientist.

She stared down at her digital pad through a pair of bifocals, sliding her finger across the smooth surface. Her golden hair had been pulled back and a red marker sat behind her ear. The woman looked as if she had received little to no sleep in several days. "We are doing our best, sir, but we've hit many dead ends."

"Doing our best is simply not good enough. We have power outages, blown holo-computers, loss of data, loss of communications, power surges, erratic energy flow... Hell, it's going to take me two hours just to get back to the office. The lock-down traffic jam out there is ridiculous."

She met his eyes with frustration in her own voice. "The flux is caused by the generator itself. Without the core, it's unstable. It might actually be better if we were able to shut down the generator. The city has other power plants that can generate the power to run the city itself. It's the shield that the generator supports."

"We can't shut down the shield. Are you crazy? It would leave us all vulnerable," Ronaldo yelled. His face began to redden.

"Well, we can't shut it down even if we wanted to. The generator is pulling power on its own, from anywhere and everywhere. It is becoming more volatile as we speak. This could become a serious problem. If we don't get that core back, we may not have to worry about the shield."

"Great... so, is it going to blow up or something?"

"No." She straightened her white lab coat and took a deep breath. "If anything it will implode."

He raised his hand to stop her. "Alright, I get it. We need the core to stabilize the problem. Have we had any success in replacing it?"

"Negative. The core is made up of a substance called Syneranium. It is a complex composition of extremely rare materials. We have been trying to recreate it, but we have not had any success. We are limited with our resources and we must be careful not to waste what we have. As you may know, Dr. Stephen Mirren invented Syneranium; he was the only person to succeed in creating it. And in case you forgot, he has been dead for quite some time. He didn't leave any of his plans or reports behind."

"Yes, I am familiar with Mirren, you don't need to remind me," he snipped. "He was a brilliant mind. But he is not here, so we need to figure this out ourselves. How about Granite over there, doesn't he have weapons made of that stuff?"

Granite saw her turn and look at him.

"He does indeed," she said. "And they were formed by Mirren. They are composed with a large amount of Syneranium. But even if we could break down the weapon, we would have an extremely difficult time recreating the core. It's not just the composition... it's the fusion that happens in the final step. Mirren had some strange type of energy source. We can't seem to figure out what he used."

"Granite? Can you afford to give the good doctor here one of your precious quake hammers? She may be able to use it to duplicate the core. It would greatly benefit the city.

Granite moved toward them and withdrew one of the hammers from his back. "I will serve the city however I can."

Ronaldo grasped the heavy and bulky hammer, and handed it to the scientist. "Double your efforts. I want a solution," he said in a determined voice.

The woman shook her head and grasped the big hammer apprehensively. "We'll give it a shot, but don't expect much."

42 Swelter

The cranky old woman finally provided Swelter and his team with the only three vehicles she had left. It took the remainder of the day and the team had to stay the night. Swelter used the time to try to get to know the men and he even had a chance to speak with the two sergeants for a few hours and get to know them as well. Having a second in command surely came in handy. It had been a long time since Swelter had slept in a tent on the ground, but he managed to get a few hours sleep.

They set out early the next morning on their rickety vehicles. Powered with two large batteries and solar assist, the worse-for-wear vehicles resembled a cross between a dune buggy and a pick-up truck. Each had four large knobby tires and a cab for two, and a large flat open bed on the back. They didn't seem to be especially reliable considering nothing was working that well on the outside anymore... including humans. They loaded the heavy equipment into one vehicle, the men in the other two, and off they went.

They set out from Warren on a path that would take them through a small outpost called Hadley, where they could recharge the vehicles before their last leg of the journey to Meadville.

Traveling went pretty smooth. Other than the barren wind-swept landscape that didn't provide any shade, only the sun itself caused any hindrance as it beat down on the uncovered soldiers from above. The bumpy ride became slow and grueling, but it sure beat walking.

As the electric vehicles headed toward Hadley, Swelter looked around for any sign of life and saw nothing but decaying landscape. This part of the land appeared to have suffered the most from being trapped in the Dead Zone. Nothing but dirt and ruins stretched as far as he could see. The occasional dead tree was the closest thing to anything living. He tried to picture what it might have looked like before it had become such a wasteland, but his brain just couldn't focus. It looked more like a desert now than the lush green landscape that it had once been.

Soon he could make out their destination. The tiny shape of the Hadley outpost appeared on the horizon through the heat waves like a mirage . It had been a relatively short trip, but Swelter sure was glad to reach the midway point.

As they began their approach, one of the vehicles stopped cold. The driver called out to the other vehicles and they all slowed to a stop.

"What's the problem back there, private?" asked the sergeant.

"Vehicle's dead, serge. It's completely out of juice."

"Strange, these things were supposed to get us there with no problems. Ours are low also. Maybe it's the Dead Zone."

"What's the problem, Sergeant?" asked Swelter from the lead vehicle.

"The ammunition truck is dead in the water—or dirt if you will. They're not going any farther."

"Good thing for us, the outpost is in sight. Tell them to sit tight with the vehicle and we'll go on ahead. As soon as we charge ours up, we'll come back with a new battery. I don't think we can tow it there, not enough juice left."

"Agreed," said the sergeant and he ordered his two soldiers to stay with the downed vehicle.

Hadley, a typical Border Patrol outpost consisted of a group of buildings squatting on a hill with reinforced walls surrounding the grounds. The location provided a natural defense. This is a great place for an outpost, thought Swelter as he came up on the entrance.

The gates were open and the two vehicles drove right inside. Swelter jumped down and stretched his arms over his head. The second part of the trip would be shorter, but this break couldn't have come any sooner. They just needed a battery swap on their transports and a rescue of the third vehicle, then they could grab a quick bite to eat before they headed back out to the wasteland.

As they pulled into the gated area, Swelter noticed that there was no one to greet them. "What the hell, another group that doesn't know we were coming?" he asked. "Julio, take three others and go find someone to help us out with this battery swap. The rest of you men can unload and grab some grub."

He searched through his backpack and found his lunch. He grabbed the banana and the protein bar and sat down next to one of the soldiers. "This traveling stuff is tiring. I feel like I need a nap, amigo."

As he bit into the soft, tasty fruit, he looked over at the two vehicles that sat idle. "You know what, I bet I could charge those things up. I should have thought of that to begin with."

He walked over to the first vehicle and surveyed the battery. After scanning it with his visor, he found that he could, in fact, charge it up. He sat on the ground, navigated his way through the control center of his suit and found the power supply. With a grounded connection to the frame, he hooked the spare cables into a slot on the side of his wrist. He watched as the onboard computer began to charge the vehicle. "This thing should be good to go in no time." He got comfortable and took a bite from his protein bar.

He wondered how the three soldiers that entered the large building were making out. Hopefully they could find someone to get the other batteries charged and be on their way quickly. He wanted to make it to Meadville before dark.

The protein bar tasted stale as he chewed. He didn't care... he was just happy that the men were following his orders without question. He still felt awkward when he barked out orders, but it was getting easier. He looked around at some of the other soldiers as they laughed with each other. He found it hard not to join in with their fun, but as the leader, he needed to keep the right appearance of authority.

He began to wonder what was taking so long for the three soldiers to return. They should have come back by now. He decided to go check on them.

He got up and brushed the dirt off the seat of his suit, shoved the rest of the protein bar back into his backpack and walked to the building his men had entered.

Against the blinding light of the day, the interior of the building was gloomy. The lights were on, but the fluorescent lights were nothing like the sun and his eyes needed to adjust. Like a large partitioned warehouse, the temporary metal walls were built in all shapes and sizes in a grid-like structure throughout the building. He could see a distorted reflection of himself in the shiny metal wall. Man, I could use a shower, he thought as he looked at the dirt covering his skin and his sweaty black hair.

His eyes adjusted enough so that he could see people moving in and out of the walled areas near the back of the large room. A flashing 'CHECK IN' sign pointed to a smaller room to the right of the entrance. He entered the smaller room and approached the counter. Where did the men go? He could hear someone shuffling about around the corner just past the counter.

"Hello?" he called out.

He was beginning to get impatient. He reached for the small buzzer button with a small digital sign reading 'Ring for attendant.'

He pushed the button. Nothing. He pushed it again and called out louder. "HELLO!" After more silence, he decided to walk around the counter and into the adjoining room.

To his horror he saw a half eaten woman laying on the ground with blood splattered all about the room. Her entrails spread across the floor in a gory scene. Swelter stood looking at the corpse in shock. He felt as if he were moving in slow motion as he dipped his head back around the corner, the figures in the background were not human, they were Ferals. He had led his men into an ambush; the outpost had been overrun.

43 Jathen

The sunbeams broke through the thick canopy of trees and left a golden-red hue on the gorge as it began its ascent in the early morning. Jathen had awakened after a restless night of sleep. He looked over and saw Snow fiddling with her Vir-Comm, no doubt to make sure they were on track. The plan was to arrive at their destination sometime in the early afternoon.

Before the small group set out, Snow briefed them all on what she knew about the dark ninja, how to approach him and the importance of recovering the Sky Canopy generator's core. She instructed Jake to hang back. This was not his fight. He acted only as their guide, and there was no need for him to get hurt.

She treated Jathen just like the other soldiers—barking out instructions and orders to him. He was fine with that, but he knew Snow thought differently of him. He noticed her always keeping an eye on him, as if he might do something wrong. He felt like he gained a little trust when he saved her from that Feral, but she still acted skeptical of his motives.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this whole affair. They were tracking down this politician guy named Vander Lee who, allegedly, killed some people and stole the core to the Sky Canopy generator—which is what kept Cleveland safe and made it so desirable to Jathen. He had only wanted to gain entrance into the city; now he was on some mission to help save the whole damn thing. If they succeeded in their mission, there should be no doubt on him gaining his citizenship.

Jathen didn't usually like to get caught up in all the heavy thinking and reasoning. Yet, he still thought about the overall picture of this mission. They needed to bring the core back in order to keep the city safe, but this whole business with the Dead Zone concerned him. Some people thought the generator caused a good majority of the problems on the outside. Maybe they were right. Maybe the generator needed to be shut down.

Sure, Vander Lee must have had a good reason behind his actions. Jathen didn't much care about who he killed or why, but he was curious to find out Vander's motives, especially why he had taken the core.

Jathen figured it best to just see how it all played out and enjoy the entertainment. He didn't need to be any kind of hero in this effort. He was only along for the ride. Do his part and get his prize.

He glanced at Snow again. Damn is she cute. If not for her, I wouldn't have this opportunity. We may not trust each other just yet, but she sure has my attention. I'm just going to let everything else fall into place, it will all work out.

They headed up out of the gorge and back into the thick of the woods just before the sun had fully risen. Jake wanted to stay within cover as much as possible, so they weaved their way through the thick vegetation in a calculated path. As the group traveled forward, the forest revealed how it had also fully awakened. Birds chattered in the treetops, insects buzzed through the air and flowers reached out to grab the sunlight as dew dripped from their petals.

They traveled quietly and paused only to check their positioning with Jake's discreet path. Jathen brought up the rear as usual, keeping an eye out for any trouble behind them. He removed a large branch of a maple tree out of his way and nearly ran into Ashton who had stopped in the middle of the path.

"Now what do you suppose that is?" asked Ashton pointing at a shape in the over-grown brush.

Jathen could see a large, faded red and white object through the foliage, protruding from the ground. "It looks like an old airplane from the twentieth century," he said, as he looked at the large mass of metal, heavily overgrown with vegetation. Vines clung to the side and grew up and over the broken wings of the old flying vehicle.

"Keep your voices down," Jake whispered.

Ashton walked around the side of the hull. "Yeah, these things used to fly all over the world in the old days. Then they ran out of fuel for them. I wonder what they used this one for?"

Tan uncovered a faded logo on the side of the back fin. "I'm guessing by the look of this logo, it was used to transport something. I think they called them cargo planes."

Ashton circled the plane admiring the size. "This thing is cool. I've never had a chance to see a real aero plane before. We've all had history and stuff, but this is real."

Snow tried to keep them focused. "All right, show is over. Let's keep moving, fellas."

"Hold on a minute, Agent Snow. I want to check out the inside. If I'm coming all the way out here and risking my tail, maybe I can get a little souvenir on the way. I heard these things sometimes carried valuables."

"I wouldn't go in there if I were him," said Jake.

"Right," agreed Snow. "Stay out of there, soldier."

But it was too late; he had already entered into the interior of the plane from the back where it had split in two. Wilcox followed.

Jathen leaned against one of the broken wings and loosened his backpack. "Ah... kids."

He ran his hand through his sweaty hair and glanced around at his surroundings. He had grown up outside and he still enjoyed the wildlife. This might be one of the last times he would see the real forest. He didn't know if he liked that or not, but he was prepared to move on. He still loved how the new summer morning sort of engulfed him. Not yet too hot, and the humidity in the air felt welcoming. He took in a deep breath enjoying the layered smells of the forest as he waited for the soldiers.

Several seconds later, his serenity was interrupted by a boom of a shotgun blast. The sound startled him away from his meditational trance and he immediately readied himself for action. One of the soldiers cried out from within the plane and Jathen knew trouble had found them.

He and the others hurried over to the entrance of the cargo plane. Wilcox emerged with his arm around Ashton.

"What happened?" shouted Snow.

"Ashton's been shot!"

Jathen could see the dark color that saturated Ashton's left side. The stain grew before his eyes as he stared at the wound.

"Whoever survived the crash must have holed-up inside. They set booby traps. Ashton hit a trip wire and a shotgun went off," said Wilcox in a shaky voice.

Jathen moved up to inspect the wound. "You're lucky to be alive, Ashton. The shotgun missed your vital organs, but it's done some serious damage."

"God, that was dumb. I'm sorry, guys," Ashton said through gritted teeth.

"Let's get this wrapped up quickly," said Jathen. "Ferals are attracted to the scent of blood."

Tan had already unpacked a field kit. He unrolled a large bandage and began to get ready to dress the wound when Jake interrupted. "Guys, we have to leave. Now. The sound will bring the Ferals. We have to get far away from here, as soon as possible."

Jathen looked at the wounded man. "He's right. We have to go. Can you move?"

Ashton breathed raggedly. "I think so."

They helped him up. Jake jogged ahead and scanned the forest. He waved them forward, then ducked through a heavy patch of undergrowth. They ran through the forest trying to keep quiet, all the while Wilcox and Ashton hobbled behind them. As they fought through the thick vegetation, a long eerie howl echoed through the forest. The Ferals had heard the shot and were already converging on the plane.

Ashton limped along for several minutes before he had to stop. He looked as pale as a ghost.

Wilcox yelled for them to halt. "I don't think he can make it."

Snow stopped and moved back to Ashton. "On your feet, soldier. That's an order. Do you want to be left out here to die?"

He shook his head, and struggled to his feet. Snow took the other side and helped Wilcox support him. They continued forward as quickly as they could, but the bleeding man had left a trail of blood that would soon bring the monsters.

Jathen brought up the rear and watched the blood drip and smear across the plants Ashton brushed against. He knew they had to stop soon and finish dressing the wound or they would all pay. They just needed to get far enough away from the plane.

He was about to tell them to halt when something came hurtling out of the trees from the left side. Snow reacted quickly this time. She let go of Ashton and zeroed in on the charging Feral. A hail of ice shards cut down the monster before it could close the distance and it fell to the ground harmlessly.

Jathen grabbed Ashton in her place and lent his shoulder to the wounded man. "Move!" he said and motioned for her to follow Jake.

Jake led them to the edge of a cliff that had the remains of some old rusted guardrails. Just past the decaying rails, a sheer drop of about fifty feet fell to the ground below.

"They won't be able to attack from this side," Jake told them.

"That was some good thinking, kid," said Jathen, again impressed with his knowledge.

Tan tended to the wound, doing a good job of trying to stop the bleeding, but Ashton grew weaker by the second. He lay on the ground barely awake.

"He's in bad shape here, Snow," said Tan.

She looked at her Vir-Comm. "I know, but we can't stay here." She expanded the view of her map so the others could see. "We are getting close. If we hurry we can move down the ridge, and then we just need to make a break through this clearing. The beacon is showing in this area." She pointed to the spot on the transparent map projection. "Staying here too long is suicide. We have to move."

"I don't think he can make it, Snow," said Tan, "We need to make a stand here."

"No. We have to push forward. He can make it."

"But what happens once we get there? How do we know this isn't a better place to fight?"

"We don't know, but I'm willing to take our chances. They can't live out this far without some form of protection."

"They're not going to just let us in..." argued Tan.

A rustling in the trees informed them that another monster approached. It hurtled from the underbrush keeping low to the ground. The other two soldiers opened fire and loud gunfire filled the air. The creature tripped and fell as the bullets ripped into it, but it kept coming, crawling toward them as quickly as it could. Several more shots finished it off, but more Ferals were certainly on the way.

Ashton lifted his pale face, "Go on. Go ahead, I'll stay back and buy you some time. This is my fault anyway."

"No way," argued Snow.

Jathen stepped up beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. "He's right. They will come for him, and it will give us some time. It's the only way."

There were already more howls off in the distance. Jake stood at the edge of the cliff. "They are coming, I can see them."

"Damn it!" yelled Snow. "Are you sure this is what you want? We will make a stand with you right here if that's what it takes."

"You have to go. It's the only way, I won't let you all die because of me." He clenched his teeth together. "Tell my girlfriend Shawna and my dad that I love them. Make sure they get a chance to live a safe life inside the city. That's why I came out here. Now go!" He pulled out his weapon and brought himself up to a kneeling position.

Wilcox stepped back from his doomed buddy. "Give'em hell."

"I will. Now get going."

They fled the ridge in an all out sprint. Several minutes away from Ashton, they heard the gunfire begin. The reports only lasted a few seconds before the sound stopped. No one spoke, they only continued to run along the ridge creating as much separation as they could.

Jathen never liked to see a man go down. He had seen his share of death in his life and it never got any easier. They had lost a man, but they had to continue. He hoped the team could stay focused on the mission.

The ridge sank, and then rose, and circled around, creating a valley between them and the side they had left Ashton on. Jake pushed ahead and led them away, but Jathen took a moment to look back. He could see movement on the far side of the ridge and amongst the vegetation a larger shape appeared, something much bigger than the normal sized Ferals. He recognized the new threat with dread.

"We need to hustle. There's a Doom Bull with them."

"A what?" Snow asked as she slapped a branch away from her face.

"A Doom Bull. Don't they teach you people anything on the inside? It's a hulking, huge Feral with horns and a really bad temper. I don't think you'll want to wait around to get a look at it, so let's move."

They continued away from the ridge and headed toward the homing beacon. Soon they came to the edge of the forest that opened into a wide, overgrown field.

They charged into the sea of green and golden plants as they closed in on their destination. When they came to the crown of a small hill, they could see an old farmhouse, barn and sawmill several hundred yards away. They picked up the pace and continued forward.

"The signal points toward that old farmhouse." Snow yelled.

The Ferals were most likely following, but they didn't want to wait and see.

Soon they were within close proximity of the house and they came upon a strange fence. Stainless-steel poles rose seven or eight feet from the ground and ended with a ball on top. Three wires connected each top from post to post. They approached cautiously. Jake was no help here, he had not been this far out.

A howl echoed behind them. There was no time to waste, Jathen moved through the invisible barrier. Nothing happened.

The rest of the team followed him through and headed for the house as they heard the howls behind them again. Jathen squinted back over his shoulder. The Ferals had broken the forest line and were closing on their position. He wondered how many Ferals were following. He didn't see the Doom Bull, maybe it had stayed behind to feast on poor Ashton.

"We can take up position in that house," Snow shouted as she ran toward it.

"How do we know it's safe?" asked Tan

"We don't, but we can't stay out here. Just be cautious."

Reaching the house, Jathen ran up the steps of the front porch. "Hello!" he called out.

With no reply, he reached for the front door. To his surprise, it had been left ajar. He pushed it open and motioned for the others to follow him. His heart beat furiously in his chest. He didn't like the situation. Someone could be waiting inside with a shotgun.

Snow took the lead and made a quick, efficient sweep of the premises. Jathen glanced around the old home himself. He felt a bit of relief when the house turned out empty. Apparently, the home had been abandoned.

Dusty, weather-beaten furniture filled the rooms, and the warped, wooden floors creaked as the team barged through the home. A small chipmunk scurried away from a nest it had built on the fireplace mantle.

"Looks clean," Snow announced.

"Good," Jathen shouted. "Snow...take Wilcox and cover the left side of the house. Stay at the window and don't shoot until you have a shot. Conserve your ammo. Hopefully we can hold up here." He headed back toward the front door.

"Jathen, where are you going?" asked Snow.

"Out front. I want them to come to me. The goal is to not let them take a strong flank position. If they split up, don't let them in through the windows."

"You can't stay out front by yourself, I'll help you."

"No. I need you to hold the flank. Tan and Samms take the right side. Jake, find a room upstairs where you can see, and let us know what's coming."

"Jathen, you won't last two seconds out there," insisted Snow.

"Listen Snow, we don't have time to argue. Get into position and hold the flank. I can handle myself."

Snow grudgingly did as she was told. Tan and Samms took the other side and Jake ran upstairs. Jathen stood just inside the doorway with his sharp blades and his black Spartan-like helmet ready for action. He was the only one without a gun, but it did not make him any less formidable. He had much more experience than any of the others. He knew what to expect.

The Ferals came just minutes after they were in position. Jake yelled down a warning as the first grayish-green monster emerged from the field and onto the farm. Wilcox fired his long-range rifle as the first Feral came into view. He hit the creature in its bony chest, but it kept coming. It took three more shots to the midsection before it fell.

Twenty or so Ferals moved fast and closed the distance quickly. They bounced back and forth erratically making for a hard target, and their natural armor protected them from the soldiers bullets.

Jathen readied himself as he watched them close the distance. He had seen them many times before, but the sight of their werewolfish, alien-like appearance still felt unsettling. He could see the rows of sharp teeth as they snarled and howled, racing forward. Time to go to work, he told himself.

Several fell, but the mass closed the gap. Once they were in range, Snow joined the firing. The room fell in temperature slightly as the ice shards erupted from her wrists. Her weapons had a much higher rate of fire than the others and she brought down two Ferals quickly, but even she could not stop them all.

The first one reached the house and dove toward the front door. Jathen moved forward and met it in mid-stride, decapitating the creature with a graceful sidestep. He moved out from the porch, where he had more room to maneuver. Like a graceful dancer he extended and retracted, ducked and shifted. Each attack struck with precision killing any Feral that came close. But even he could not hold off the tide, and soon they split up and began to circle the house.

Jake called out from above, "Another group has just broken from the forest. The big one with the horns is with them."

Jathen shifted his focus toward the field. A large muscle mass of a creature that stood some eight to ten feet tall, with large horns that grew from its head like a longhorn bull. Even with all his confidence, he did not look forward to seeing this monster up close.

About half of the first wave of Ferals still fought to gain entrance into the house. Jathen retreated back up the stairs and into the front entranceway. He needed to hold the front but the back was vulnerable.

He peered back over his shoulder just in time to see a Feral coming in through the small kitchen's back door. He opened his mouth to yell for the others, when a dark clad figure materialized out of thin air, just in front of the monster.

The dark figure held a crackling electric sword that cut the monster in half at its midsection. He moved forward and quickly dispatched two more. He turned and Jathen saw his gleaming silver faceplate.

"If you plan to live, you will follow me," said the newcomer.

Jathen wasn't sure what to think about the dark clad figure. This must be the dark ninja—Vander Lee. Maybe I should take him out. Then he realized the dark figure provided their only hope of survival. Damn Ferals. "Everyone to me," he called to the others. "Help has arrived. We have to follow this guy. Do what he says, There are more approaching, and the Doom Bull is with them. We have to get out of here."

He wasn't sure how Snow would react, but she followed his lead.

The dark ninja led them out of the house and toward the barn. Jathen and his new partner both cut a path toward their destination, several Ferals lay dying in their wake. The dark ninja led them into the barn and closed the door behind. He manipulated a control on his waist and a silver metal door opened in the center of the barn floor.

"Quickly, down the stairs," he told them.

They entered the hole and bright fluorescent lights flickered on as they moved down. The dark ninja brought up the rear and closed the heavy doors behind them.

"Keep going," he yelled.

The stairs ended and opened into a long hallway with stainless-steel walls. A door opened on one of the right-side wall panels and the group stopped. The dark ninja materialized in front of them, sword in hand, and hurried them into the room. Jathen turned to see if the dark ninja was following. He glimpsed the shadowy form of the ninja standing in the hall before the door closed and locked with a click.

They had escaped the Ferals. But now they were trapped in a room at the mercy of the dark ninja.

44 Snow

Snow stood with her hands on her hips, breathing heavily from their quick escape. They were in what looked like a waiting room, complete with sitting area and viewing monitors. Even though the dark ninja had locked them in the room, it beat being stuck outside with the Ferals and the room appeared comfortable. She could see a small bathroom and a wet bar near the back. The temperature felt cool and the sound was quiet.

They had only just entered the room when the dark ninja's holographic image sprang up from the floor in front of them. "I'm sorry to have to keep you locked in this room, but it is for your own good. Please understand that we have no intention of harming you, and you have my word that you will all be set free shortly. As a precaution, I must warn you, do not try to shoot your way out of the room. The walls are reinforced and shooting would be a bad idea. In the meantime, please make yourself at home, and rest assured that the Ferals can't penetrate this fortress. There are refreshments at the bar. Sit back and relax." The hologram disappeared.

Snow looked at both Jathen and Tan. "What do you suppose this is?"

Jathen removed his weapons. "It must be some sort of underground safe house or something. Whatever it is... doesn't look like we're going anywhere. At least we won't be lunch for the Ferals. Problem is... we aren't looking so hot when it comes to retrieving your little trinket."

Snow didn't like his sarcasm, but she did agree with it. She looked around the room for any way to get out. A hidden door switch, anything. She spent some time looking around the room, but couldn't find anything.

"Damn, we're stuck here for now. Is there a way to contact this guy? I at least want to talk to him." She went over and fiddled with the controls of the holo-projector.

"Hello? Mr. Lee? We need to talk. My name is Agent Snow and I think you know why I am here. The core must be returned. I know you have it. Please respond." She waited, but there was nothing.

Jathen walked over to the bar. "You all may as well have a seat and take a rest. I'm going to check out the bar and have one of his refreshments."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said Snow.

"Why? If he wanted us dead, he would have just left us for the Ferals." He cracked a plastic bottle of water and took a long swig, then grabbed several more and tossed them to the others.

Time passed as they waited. Everyone decided to get comfortable and use the time to rest. Tan and Wilcox both napped, while Samms and Jake watched some cartoon on one of the monitors. Snow paced around the room restlessly.

"Why don't you give it a break for a minute, Snowy?" asked Jathen.

"You know, I've been putting up with you calling me all these names, but one of these times you're going to get a fist in the mouth."

Jathen chuckled lightly. "Whoa... hold on. No harm intended. I just want you to relax."

"I'm not going to relax until I have the core safely back in place in the generator."

Just then the hologram of a man popped up again. This man looked much more casual, wearing clothing that referenced ancient eastern culture, satin navy blue pants trimmed with white and matching shirt.

"Agent Snow, if you would be so kind as to disable your weapons. I would like to speak with you. You can leave the BS1000 wrist guns in the room where you are. They won't be needed. You'll have to forgive me for not introducing myself before... as you undoubtedly know, my name is Vander Lee."

45 Swelter

Swelter stumbled back out of the building and winced as the sunlight nearly blinded him. Through his blurred vision he noticed several shapes burst from around the corner of the building. Moving at an incredible pace, their dark hides contrasting against the bright sky, as they charged the unsuspecting soldiers. Swelter's eyes adjusted enough to see the soft clouds of dust rise into the air as the creatures' feet impacted the ground.

His mind told him to yell, but he couldn't get the sound out in time as the first two soldiers were dragged to the ground. Claws ripped and shredded through their armor in a matter of seconds.

"Ferals!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The long-range sniper turned to see what Swelter was yelling about when his head was ripped from his shoulders. The whirlwind of claws and teeth continued moving forward shredding a fourth soldier. Dark pools of blood began to form on the dusty ground as the men's bodies lay in torn heaps.

Gunfire erupted and two Ferals fell as three more emerged on the top of the buildings. One vaulted through the air from above and caught a soldier in its gaping shark-like jaws. The soldier's head squished like a ripe tomato and red gore sprayed into the air. The creature roared in triumph and turned to find its next victim.

The soldiers tried desperately to defend themselves, forming into groups, but the attacks came from all directions. Swelter watched helplessly as the speedy attack overwhelmed his team. He blinked his eyes in disbelief. How did we run into this? They said it was Meadville, not Hadley. Are both towns overrun?

Hearing a shuffling sound behind him, he jerked his head around just in time to see more coming from inside the building he had just exited. He raised his arm impulsively and a stream of flame engulfed the nearest Feral. It dropped to the ground as the flames consumed it. He showered the door with flames with the hopes of stopping any others from following.

His heart pounded as the fever of the fight took over. All thoughts evaporated from his head and he acted on instinct. His legs carried him as fast as he could toward what was left of his team.

Flipping down his visor as he ran, he noticed the power failure blinking in the top right. What the fuck is happening here. How can I fight with no power?

Another soldier screamed. Gunfire filled the air; roars of Ferals came from all around.

"This way!" He heard someone yell.

The sergeant had opened a door in the ground. "It leads under the hill, hurry."

Ferals came from everywhere, many soldiers lay on the ground and Swelter had to do something. He ran to the nearest group of survivors and released another burst of fire creating a wall between them and the converging Ferals. The soldiers used the diversion to retreat to where the sergeant held the door open.

Two dark shapes streaked through the flames and ran toward Swelter with the speed of a cheetah, flames trailing from their bodies as they leaped toward him. He ducked the first attack, heard gunfire from behind, but didn't have time to turn. A gaping jaw of razor teeth stretched toward his face. He brought up his arm and a blue transparent shield blocked the attack. The momentum knocked him back. As he hit the ground, he felt an iron-like grasp close around his shield arm and yank backward.

With one last effort he slammed his free arm into the open mouth of the monster and released the flame again. The Feral's head burst into flames and exploded. He shoved the heavy body off and struggled to regain his feet. The visor on his suit went black and he knew he was out of power. He could hear the sergeant yelling his name. He pushed himself up from the ground.

He moved his legs, taking step after step toward the direction of the man's voice. He ran without hesitation, fumbling to lift his visor just in time to see the darkness of the doors in front of him. He somersaulted into the opening and heard the doors slam shut behind. He collided into something hard and everything went black.

46 Vander

Vander waited in the observation room. The dull, gray steel walls were separated in the middle by a thick sheet of unbreakable glass. Gouges and scratches covered the far half of the room. Vander waited for Snow on his side of the glass separator.

As Vander sat waiting, he knew his appearance would be somewhat shocking to her. Having removed his hairpiece and his contact lenses, he would let her see his true appearance. His smooth, hairless head became the most noticeable change from his hidden identity. With no eyebrows, eyelashes or beard, it became immediately apparent that no hair grew on his body. His bright, solid white eyes capped his unnatural image by giving him a ghostly presence.

Snow emerged from a door on the other side of the glass separator, not looking at all very happy. Her white suit appeared grey from all the dirt and grime that covered her. Her black hair spiked up and around her visor that sat on top of her head.

Vander walked closer to the glass window and held in a button on the side of the wall. "I would prefer to talk to you without the hindrance of this glass wall. If you can agree to have a civil conversation, we can do that. Are these acceptable terms?"

Snow nodded.

He pushed another button and the partition sank into the ground. At the same time, a round steel table and two round steel stools rose from the floor several feet away. Vander walked casually over and sat at the farthest stool, motioning for Snow to join him.

"Thank you for joining me, Mrs. Mariano. I trust that the room you are being held in is acceptable?"

Snow didn't respond, she walked over and sat down at the other stool with her arms crossed on the table. "Where is the core?"

He surveyed her for a moment. "You are very direct. The core... is here with us."

"You don't understand, it must be taken back to the city, immediately."

"You have my word, the core will return to the Sky Canopy generator very soon."

"If you're going to take it back, then why did you take it in the first place?"

"You must have patience. You will understand in time."

"Was it necessary for you to kill all those people?"

"Yes it was... and I am here to explain my actions."

"So, you admit to killing Huff, Timburk, and several other? And you admit to taking the core? I'm sorry, Mr. Lee, but I'm going to have to place you under arrest."

Vander laughed lightly, "Considering your current predicament, I don't think I will be getting arrested today."

"You will pay for what you have done."

"We all pay in the end, Agent Snow. In fact payment is what drives the little story I am about to share with you. I don't have to give you any reason for what I have done. However, due to the amount of effort you have expended just to reach this place, I feel I am obligated to give you the truth behind my actions. Let us go back some twenty years."

Vander told Snow the story of what happened on the farm. How three soldiers came to retrieve the core from Dr. Mirren, raped his mother and killed his family. He went through his tragedy with great detail, leaving very little to the imagination. He ended the tale in the woods, where was left alone, huddled near a tree on the ground, as the Ferals passed by him to pursue the soldiers.

Vander sat quietly waiting for a response from Snow. She looked off at the plain wall, lost in the telling of the story.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I understand why you wanted to kill those men. It must have been an entirely horrible thing for a young boy to experience. Again, I am sorry."

The bald, white-eyed man nodded his recognition.

"Still, you did commit murder, and it is not up to me to judge you. If I had the means, I would still place you under arrest.

Vander didn't reply.

"I know you mentioned that your mother wanted to protect the outside world and all, but you have to understand, I am trying to protect the people in the city. Without the power of the generator the people will be helpless against the Ferals. I have to get the core back.

"As I mentioned before, it will be taken back. I promise."

"You say that so nonchalant... When you return it, will it work properly? I really highly doubt it. Whatever it is that you're planning, I hope that you will keep the people in mind.

"My plan and my actions will help the people. It may not seem that way, but you'll all understand in time."

"Well... if that is so... then please humor me. You think the generator is a bad thing, but it has protected us for most of my life. It has saved many lives. How can that be a bad thing? You mentioned that it would cause harm to the outside world, are you referring to the Dead Zone?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes. The Dead Zone is caused by Sky Canopy, but it is much worse than that. I am not going to give you the details myself. I will leave the explanation to someone who can explain it better than I."

Snow stared at Vander for a moment. "Dr. Mirren? Is he alive after all?"

"Yes. He is."

"I thought he drowned in the pond?"

"After Taylor left me in the woods, I waited a few minutes and managed to regain a little of my composure. I forced myself to my feet and ran in the opposite direction. I could hear more gunfire. The soldiers must have engaged the monsters. I took my only chance and doubled back toward home. When I arrived, I stood shaking as I peered over the body of my fallen mother. I began to sob uncontrollably as I looked at my ruined family. Terrified, I let the burning hatred for the soldiers consume me. The flood of anger comforted me.

"It was at that moment that I saw something in the pond. It was Dr. Mirren's body. It had floated to the surface near the edge of the pond. I ran over and pulled the heavy body up onto the land. It had only been a few minutes and I remembered what my mother had taught me, it was called CPR. I tried to breathe air into the doctor's mouth, but nothing happened. I tried over and over, and then I remembered watching something, a sheer stab in the dark. I put my hands under his cold wet shirt and let my power take over. I let all the built up emotion fuel my powers. I could feel it build, and I released it. Bolts of my bioelectricity flowed into Dr. Mirren, over and over. Suddenly he coughed and spit out the icy water that had filled his lungs.

"I sat back and let the doctor catch his breath. I had done it. I had saved him... somehow.

" It was history from there. The soldiers escaped the Ferals and took the core back to the city. They must have thought us all dead, but Mirren and I survived. He raised me as his own son, and the two of us spent the many years that followed planning our revenge."

Snow nodded. She must have understood. "When can I speak with him?"

"In several minutes he will address you and your friends."

"Fair enough. I just have a few more things to add. First, you mentioned that the Ferals stayed away from the farm when you were a child. That was because of your mother, wasn't it?"

"You are very perceptive, Agent Snow. Yes, we have since come to believe that she was an Ultra also. We don't know exactly what she could do, but the Ferals stayed away because of her. Right after she passed, something happened. I don't know if it was something I did or her dying wish, but somehow I felt her spirit one last time. I believe she passed some of her gift to me; it was how I survived in the woods when Taylor chased after me. I cannot keep the Ferals at bay as she could, but they will avoid me unless provoked. My mother she... She was wonderful and she kept us all safe."

"Again, I am very sorry." She paused for a second before she continued. "You have killed two of the three men responsible for the death of your family. One of them being the man that gave them the order. But, there is one left that you have not killed, the final soldier. The large man named Jones; he is my partner and we call him Granite. You must understand that he is a good man. He was only following orders. He has done much for the people. I am not defending him for what he did, but he is not as you think he is."

"I don't care who he is now, he must pay for killing my mother."

"I understand how you must feel, but he is my friend and he has done much good for the city. Just understand that what he did was to protect the people."

Vander did not respond again on the subject. "Thank you for listening, Agent Snow. If you will now please return to the holding room. The doctor will speak with you shortly."

47 Snow

Snow returned to the holding room to find everyone comfortably hanging out. Tan and the other Border Patrolmen sat around the room checking their backpacks and supplies. Jake was cleaning his rifle and Jathen napped in one of the corners. They all looked up in surprise when she returned.

She gave them a quick synopsis of what she had just learned. Fields kept his eyes closed but she guessed he was listening to every detail.

It wasn't long before the hologram in the center materialized again. This time, an old man wearing a tan business-casual suit stood in front of them. He had almost entirely white hair, a pair of thick glasses sat on his nose, and he wore an uncanny metal brace on his right hand.

"Hello everyone," said the old man. "If you would all please gather round, I will be able to hear and see you. Please step within the circle."

They all looked down and noticed a different pattern in the floor tiles that created a halo around the holo-monitor. They all stepped inside. The shimmering image of the doctor stood in the middle of the small group.

"My name is Dr. Stephen Mirren. You may have heard of me. I created Sky Canopy," he said in a matter of fact tone. "You'll have to forgive me for the inconvenience of speaking with you in this manner, but as some of you may already know, I have been in a similar position once before. I won't be making the same mistake twice."

Snow spoke up first. "Dr. Mirren, it is a pleasure to see you again. I..."

"Yes, yes, I know who you are, they call you Snow. I remember you from when you were a child. You entered the Ultra program with the abilities of the water element. Some of the weaponry you employ is of my design."

He took a moment and looked around at the small crowd surrounding his holographic form. "I see we have three members of the Columbus Border Patrol here with us." He pointed each one out in turn. "You have a young scout amongst you." He searched for Jake and found him. "Very good job, young man, I am thoroughly impressed that you were able to lead them all the way out here. This is dangerous country now days. Not like it used to be... The borders have shrunk over the years. You should all be very thankful that you have this young man with you. You may not have made it here without him."

Jake smiled. "They are all welcome, sir. I'm happy to help."

"And last, but not least you have a true warrior with you. Your name is Fields, correct?" He turned to face Jathen, who nodded. "Yes, you are no doubt an Ultra. I watched your fight with the Ferals. I have never seen anyone move like you. You are indeed very special. The Spartan helmet that you wear is very fitting. I wish I had more time to work with you, but there are other matters that need my attention.

"And that, my friends, is why I have come to talk to you. The more pressing matter is for me to explain what is going on, and why we have taken the core."

The group all huddled in closer. They were all interested in hearing this.

"First let me explain my original intentions. My goal has always been to help the human race by the further advancement of science. I planned to help us survive against the worst threat our species had ever faced. Believe it or not, that is still my intention, even if it seems misguided. I have made mistakes in my life—large ones—and I intend to correct them."

"You have all fought your way out here to my humble abode to no doubt retrieve this—" He held up a cylindrical, gleaming silver object. "This is the Sky Canopy core, the key to the generator itself, but more on that in a moment. First you must understand what the generator is, and how it works."

He cleared his throat, and then continued. "Sky Canopy was created to keep the Ferals out. It creates a very large electromagnetic shield that can protect the city from anything on the outside, and I mean anything." He turned the core over and over in his hands as he spoke. "But, to do this it takes a massive amount of energy. Now... our typical energy-creating sources within the city: nuclear, electrical, solar... they can help to supply power to the city itself, but not the shield. Do you all follow me? That amount of energy has to come from somewhere else. The source of the Sky Canopy's power comes from something called ambient energy.

"All living things use ambient energy in everything that they do. You yourselves use ambient energy every day in your daily tasks. When you blink your eyes, or when you take a breath of air. When you say a word, or when you take a step. Imagine everything around you—the forest, the leaves, the insect, a blade of grass, everything—they all move and grow and use ambient energy. It is all around us. If you could tap into this form of energy, it could be limitless, correct? But, as I have found out, it is not.

"You see... the sky Canopy core pulls this ambient energy in from all around it to create the shield, but as I discovered early on, this has a dreadful ramification. The ambient energy that is taken is not replenished. If something dies, nothing new will replace it. Children will not be born, plants will not grow, and water will not precipitate. This is not a problem if the ambient energy is taken in small amounts, but the shield is far from small. In the first few years of operation, everything seemed fine, but soon the effects began to take place. A Dead Zone as it has grown to be called, formed around the area of the city. The absence of the ambient energy caused this effect, creating a barren wasteland."

Dr. Mirren's hologram walked in a small circle as he addressed the group. "Humans on the outside began to feel lazy and tired. That is because their energy was being stolen. Sky Canopy will sap all the ambient energy around it until it is gone, then it will reach farther and farther, until at some point, there will be nothing left. I have reason to believe that it will even pull energy from within, sapping energy from those that it seeks to protect."

As the doctor spoke, Snow had this large sinking feeling. Is Sky Canopy really causing all these problems after all? She continued to listen hoping the doctor would say something positive.

"What makes this all possible is the core itself; specifically, the material it is made of." He held up the silver object again. "This tiny object is composed of Syneranium, a highly conductive form of metal that makes it possible for the generator to pull in the ambient energy. This object was needed to start the process and to keep it regulated.

"So now that you have an understanding of what is happening, you must realize why we cannot allow the generator to continue to operate. Those that it seeks to protect will only be destroyed. There are other ways to combat the Ferals. The answer has been in front of us for years, but it isn't Sky Canopy.

"We had hoped that the removal of the core would stop the operation of the generator, but that did not happen. The flow of ambient energy is too great and it no longer needs the core to siphon the energy. Unfortunately, now that the core has been removed, the entire system has grown unstable. I have no idea what it may do. This is beyond anything I have tested for. Our plan is to return with the core, and reinsert it into the generator. I have made some adjustments that will reverse the flow of ambient energy when it is replaced. We hope this will stop the pull, and release the stored ambient energy back into the atmosphere.

Snow was silent. She only stared at the ground. This was a huge blow to her. She felt as if she had been on the wrong side of things from the beginning. Everything she fought to protect was wrong. Of course, it all made sense. The Dead Zone, the lack of energy. The generator was the cause of the problem. She felt sick to her stomach.

The doctor could see her reaction. "Do not lose hope, young lady, all is not lost. You and your friends all have parts to play in the grand scheme of things. You are the key to our future.

"I hope that what I have told you makes sense. That you will not fight against us... but with us... to right the ship. I regret that I must leave you now, but I want to reassure you that you will all be released shortly. Vander and I will travel back to the city. You... will all be needed back in Columbus. The Ferals have sensed the weakness the generator has caused. They have begun to attack the outposts and I fear they will soon mount an offensive against Columbus itself. You will be able to teleport back to Columbus and help to defend the city. They will need you. It will not be easy.

"One last thing... when we replace the core, you will all feel a large boost in energy, use this to your advantage. I wish you all good luck."

With that, his digital projection disappeared.

48 Swelter

"For anyone out there that can hear this, this is Agent Swelter of E-squad for the AOCC. We are sending out an emergency request for help. My team and I have been stranded in Hadley and we are under constant attack from a Feral war party. We have been trying repeatedly for the past few days to reach someone... anyone. Please, if there is anyone out there, we are in need of immediate assistance.

"We were sent on a mission to investigate Feral activity around the Meadville outpost area. My team and I never made it that far. We stopped at a tiny outpost called Hadley to refuel for the final leg of our journey and found the place overrun by Ferals. It is much worse out here than expected. We had a firefight when we arrived, and we didn't fare so well. We have been forced to hole up inside some underground garage to defend ourselves and we have taken heavy casualties.

"This area is swarming with monsters. There seems to be no end to their numbers. They destroyed our vehicles and our ammo is beginning to run low. We have lost all communication with the inside, and several surviving members of our team appear to be getting sick. We have rationed our food and water and we think we have enough for another week or so. We have considered several exit strategies, but most appear to be hopeless. There are just too many monsters waiting for us.

"Out of the twenty-three members of my squad, only seven remain including myself. This is Agent Swelter of E-squad for the AOCC. If anyone out there can hear me, we need your assistance. I will be back on tomorrow at noon for anyone who is receiving this. This is Swelter, over and out.

49 Jathen

Several hours after Dr. Mirren's hologram faded from view, Jathen began to get antsy. He wanted out. They had been held captive for over twenty-four hours. The room was comfortable, but they were still being held against their will.

Snow sat by herself in one of the corners of the long room. She hadn't spoken a word since the doctor gave his little speech. Jathen decided he should go talk to her.

"So what do you think, Boss?" he asked her in his casual manner.

She didn't lift her gaze, she continued to stare at the floor and simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on... Is that all you've got? Are you just going to sit there and sulk?"

She stood up suddenly. "What do you want from me?"

"Well, first of all, you're leading this little soirée we're running here. I want to see you up and at 'em. What I don't want is to watch you mope around over here in the corner."

"That's great; do you want me to get up and do cartwheels or something? Because I can do that. But what I can't do is get us out of this room. And I definitely can't fix how fucked up everything is right now."

Jathen didn't respond, he just stared back at her and waited for her to continue. He knew she needed to get some things off her chest.

"I don't even know what to do anymore. I don't know what side I should be on. Everything I have fought to protect is false. Or is it?" she asked with a raised voice.

Her skin had changed to an ice blue color. She stood up and started to pace back and forth as if she was talking to herself. "I've just been told—by the inventor of Sky Canopy—that Sky Canopy is destroying the world. The thing I seek to protect—is destroying the world. I've been sent to catch a murderer and to recover a vital piece to our protection, only to find out that it's all backwards. The AOCC are the murderers and they had a family killed for no good reason. They built this doomsday machine to protect us, but all it does is kill us. It's all such bullshit. I don't know who I should be fighting for."

Jathen waited a moment longer to see if she would continue, then he stepped close to her. His face only inches from hers. "You want to know who to fight? I'll tell you who. The Ferals! Those monsters are the reason for all of this. Forget Sky Canopy, it's nothing more than the bucket that's bailing water on a sinking ship. We need to fix the ship and man the guns. You can bet there is a fight coming. You want to know who to fight. Fight the monsters."

"Easy for you to say, you're an Outsider. What do you care about the city?"

"It's not the city I care about, it's the people inside. I may be a selfish prick, but I care about people. I've watched the Ferals cause more death and destruction than you can possibly imagine. I don't have all the answers, but I will fight against them. I came out here with you so that I could get a chance to live on the inside. Hell, I'm basically trying out for the E-Squad team. Maybe you'll accept me and maybe you won't. But one thing I've learned for sure, and that's what side I'm on." He paused and leaned close to her. "The same side you're on. The side that fights the Ferals."

Snow's face gradually turned back to a normal color. She appeared to have calmed down. "So what do you propose we do then?"

"Well I tend to think I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I'm guessing the doc is a man I can trust. I know he's holding us captive and all, but it sounds like he has his reasons. And it isn't because he wants to harm us. He said the Ferals are going to attack Columbus. So when we get out of here, I'm hauling ass back to Columbus to kill me some Ferals. I never set out to be some hero or savior, but I'll be damned if I just sit back and watch people die. How about you, are you with me?"

"I suppose I am. But how do you expect to get out of here?"

"As I said, I'm trusting the doc. He said he would let us out. There's food and water in that little fridge over there, so I'm going to sit here and relax. When that door releases—then it's go time."

50 Vander

Vander Lee and Dr. Stephen Mirren began their journey back to the city shortly following Dr. Mirren's address. They used the teleportation unit to take them back to Vander's house in Columbus, and then they set off to catch the magna-rail back to the mega city of Cleveland. This was the first time Dr. Mirren had been back in the city in over twenty years.

As they waited at the station Vander tried to object on their course of action. "Must you return with me? I feel like we are taking an unwarranted risk."

"Vander, I plan to see this through to the end myself. I need this. I have made some alterations to the core that, when reinserted, may need some adjustments that you cannot provide."

"Can't you show me what to do? I am a fast learner."

Dr. Mirren smiled. "Yes, I know you are. And I appreciate your concern. But, I don't know what problems may arise. I can't show you what I don't know. It is better if I am there. It is the only way."

Vander nodded, but he still didn't like the situation.

The two boarded the train and took their seats. It would be several hours before they would reach their destination. Vander sat back and went over the details of their plan and readied himself mentally for the challenges ahead. He expected to meet his final foe in deadly combat, the last soldier left alive, the man that landed the killing blow on his mother, and the one who now went by the name of Granite. It would take everything he had to defeat this formidable foe.

The whirlwind of time that had passed since Vander had stolen the core had left very little time for chitchat between Dr. Mirren and himself.

As they rode toward the city Dr. Mirren looked up from his digital pad. "I would like to know what happened when you confronted Walter Huff, Vander. What did the man have to say after all this time?"

Vander took them back to the night he killed Walter Huff.

*****

Walter Huff's extravagant home was equipped with the very best in security. There were only two armed guards that stood watch at night, and the rest was left up to the state-of-the-art computer security system. Unfortunately for Walter, the dark ninja was rather good with electrical ware. Able to infiltrate the grounds and enter the house without detection from the guards, the dark ninja found the main frame for the security system, and simply disabled it. The only people left in the house were Huff and himself.

He materialized into a dark corner of the main living room. The large, over decorated, throwback of a room, with plush, sturdy furniture gave him ample places to hide, where he could easily stay concealed. The obese form of Walter Huff sat in a chair enjoying his snacks and watching the holo-vision set. Before the dark ninja revealed himself, he watched Walter from his shadowy corner for several minutes. The large man popped cheesy kernels into his mouth in between each deep breath of air, as he watched some late night program.

The dark ninja emerged from the shadows and into Walter's arc of sight. He lurched up in his seat; obviously startled by the intruder.

Walter reached under his armrest and frantically pushed a button.

"Don't waste your time," the dark ninja said. "The security system has been shut down. I have to hand it to you, it would have been very difficult to get this close with the system you have. However, it was not difficult to find the main frame and simply shut down the system. So now we can have a nice, completely uninterrupted, face-to-face chat."

"Face to nothing. Who the hell are you, and what the hell are you doing in my home? Do you know who I am?"

"That's the second time tonight I've been asked that question. Yes, of course I know who you are. You're Walter Huff. It's who I am that is the more important question."

The dark ninja placed his hands behind his lower back and paced slowly to the left of the seated man. "I am the son of a murdered mother, the brother of two murdered brothers and friend to the man that still fights for the health of the planet. You may remember me from earlier today in your council meeting, my name is Vander Lee."

Walter's breathing quickened and his deep breaths became quite loud. "Yeah, I know who you are, the Outsider, what do you want with me?"

"You may recall another name, one that is much more familiar to you—Dr. Stephen Mirren."

"What about Mirren, he's dead?"

"Oh, but he's not. I assure you he is alive and well."

"I don't believe you. Mirren is dead. I had confirmation on his death."

"You can believe whatever you want, but that doesn't change the facts. You tried to have him killed some twenty years ago. You sent three soldiers out to retrieve the Sky Canopy core and to kill anyone in their path. You ordered the soldiers to have my family killed. They were innocent bystanders and you murdered them." The dark ninja kept his voice calm. "Now, you must pay for that act."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Lee. I did no such thing. Mirren is gone and you are delusional."

"Come now, Mr. Huff, we both know better, there is no point in trying to be furtive. I was there and I know everything. You may as well just come clean and speak to me on even terms."

Walter gripped the sides of his chair turning his knuckles white. "You have no clue what you're talking about. You're simply crazy. Why don't you go back outside where you belong? It was probably the Ferals that killed your family."

"No, it was not the Ferals. It was you. You gave the order. You think that you're decisions have no consequences? You ordered a family to be killed to keep your little secret. You're a horrible man, Mr. Huff, and you will pay."

The dark ninja could see Walter's face begin to get red with anger. "OK," Walter said. "If that's the way you want it, I'll play your game. I understand who you must be. You're some brat kid that survived that whole fiasco on the farm. And now you've come to get your revenge for your mommy and brothers. Let me tell you something, son... tough shit. Your family was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You can call them casualties of war if you like, but don't blame me for what happened."

"Hmm, interesting way to put it, seeing how the war was between the Ferals and the humans. You killed people on your own side. You made the call and you are to blame."

"No, I think you need to understand. I make the tough choices, and sometimes drastic measures are called for."

"Why? Why did you make that decision? Why did you want a brilliant man like Dr. Mirren dead? What were you afraid of?"

"Boy, you have no idea what it's like to be in my shoes. I need to make decisions that will protect the people. Sky Canopy has done that. Mirren? Even though he invented the thing, he wanted to halt construction. He thought it was going to do more harm than good. Obviously, it has protected us since it went into operation. We are completely safe inside this shell."

"But he was right. The outside world has felt the effects of the generator. It has caused significant damage. I tried to speak to your council about it earlier today in a civil manner, but no one wanted to listen."

"That's because we know how important it is for our survival. You think it's causing damage? The Dead Zone? A necessary evil. If we are safe inside, then who cares about the outside? Hell, maybe it will end up killing the monsters. That would be an added bonus."

"But there are people on the outside. You just toss them aside? What about the ecosystem that is being destroyed?" The dark ninja began to move closer to Walter.

"I can only worry about what I have control over. If they need to be sacrificed for the safety of the human race, then so be it. We have samples of everything. Let it all die on the outside, we'll keep it all safe, inside."

"You have a twisted view of things, Mr. Huff. You would let the very planet that you call home die, to benefit your cause."

"If it benefits my city, and the people can survive, then let it happen."

"That is the problem with some of us humans. We've done so many selfish things that we take for granted. Maybe that's why the Ferals are here. Maybe they are sent to remind us what we have become."

"They're monsters from hell. That's what they are, and I have stopped their advance. Me. I saved the city. Millions live because of me. I made the tough choices and found the resources to create the greatest achievement in human history. Sky Canopy. We are here because of Sky Canopy."

"You called me delusional, but you are the one that suffers from misconception. Sky Canopy is a threat. Your city is now beginning to feel the side effects themselves. The signs are everywhere."

Walter leaned forward. "Not true. Those are all theories, no proof. People get sick and die all the time. It has nothing to do with the generator."

The dark ninja walked even closer to the large seated man. He could see his double chin quivering in the low light.

"I'm sure we could argue on that matter for hours," said the dark ninja. "But we will have to agree to disagree. You mentioned that you were the one that built Sky Canopy. Dr. Mirren invented it, not you, and you should have listened to his warnings."

Walter started to rise from his seat, but the dark ninja placed his boot on Walter's chest and pushed him back down. Walter clearly did not like that, but he continued to speak. "I did listen, but his theories were not facts. I needed a solution and the good outweighed the bad. We even gave him his due. He's a hero for Christ sakes. We have a statue of him and everything. What I did was carry out the task. I oversaw and completed the project. I made the hard decisions and the city thrived because of it."

"I'm sure in your mind you're correct. But what I can't understand is why would you want to have Dr. Mirren killed— a man who could have fixed the problem? You ordered the soldiers to kill Dr. Mirren and my family. Why?"

"Because I couldn't have a resistance against what I was doing. I didn't need him coming back and getting the public all riled up. This was a delicate matter, and I couldn't have any kind of negativity toward our plans. The public didn't need to know that there was concern. They are kept in the dark for good reason. They wouldn't understand the things we have to do behind the scenes. It's ugly back there. If the public knew the truth about half of the things that keeps them protected, there would be all kinds of chaos. It's best left a secret. Mirren would have gone public; it would have caused a huge commotion. He did his part and it was time for him to go."

The dark ninja placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I think it's time for you to go, Mr. Huff. You had my family killed and no matter how you justify it, you will pay tonight with your own life. Do you believe in God?"

Walter's eyes glanced at the sword. Silently, he glared at the dark ninja over his heavy eyebrows.

"Silence? Out of you? Interesting. You could have avoided this situation by not ordering my family to be killed. I hope that protecting your public's emotions was worth it. We can argue about Sky Canopy all night, but I am here for what you did to my family. So... whatever your beliefs are, you will soon find out if they are what you thought they were. And if you are a believer in judgment, then I'm sure all those behind the scene acts that you referred to, will send you right where you belong."

Walter's face turned to a red ball of anger. He didn't hide his emotions well. He shouted back at the dark ninja. "You don't know anything, you freak! I make the rules! I fix the problems! You don't know anything about what it takes to be me! Your Family means nothing! Your whore of a mother got what she deserved—for bringing such filth as you into this world. I know all the details of what happened that day. I read her file, that nature loving filth that she was. She got it and she loved it! She probably begged for it!"

He didn't need to hear anymore. The dark ninja bolted forward, his blade crackling to life in midair. He swung the blue illuminated sword in a long arc. It burned and cut deep down into the blubbery chest of Walter Huff. He screamed and writhed in pain in his chair as the life seeped from his body.

*****

Dr. Stephen Mirren sat staring out the side of the train window as Vander finished his tale. He shook his head in disbelief. "An asshole to the bitter end."

"Indeed he was," added Vander.

"You know something, Vander, as I listened to your tale, it came to me that you should go by a different name while you're running around in that ninja suit of yours."

Vander started to object to the description of his costume.

"I know, I know. You wanted it that way. And Master Itcharu trained you very well in the art of the sword. I could not have given you the instruction you needed to perform the acts that you do. As you have heard me say so many times, I am sorry about your family and I did the best I could in raising you correctly, but I couldn't teach you what he did. I could only give you the technology to enhance your gifts. I was able to give you the tools; Master Itcharu was able to give you the technique. I think it is time for you to reassume the nickname that I gave you as a child. Raiden was a Japanese god of thunder and lighting. It is a fitting name for you."

Vander thought about it, and then agreed, "It has been a long time, but I still like it. Raiden it is."

Mirren and Vander arrived at the Cleveland gate on the magna-rail system. Using Vanders' status as an Outside representative allowed them to pass through the security checkpoints to enter the city. Dr. Mirren used a fake identity.

They exited the station and walked onto the platform that held the vista of the city before them; it was a sight of chaos. The gridlock of malfunctioning vehicles stretched out in all directions like spider webs. Lights twinkled on and off in building windows and even the brilliant blue skyline had become inconsistent in color and flickered periodically. Obviously, the city was experiencing serious power problems.

A large mass of Apocalyptic cultists marched toward the generator holding signs and yelling threats. Their numbers had swelled in this time of chaos, a perfect distraction for Vander and Dr. Mirren.

Vander exchanged a glance with the doctor. He nodded his approval and they hurried down to join the large crowd of people heading toward the generator.

It was a lengthy hike, but they followed the throng to the steps of the facility, where the crowd of people blanketed the grounds in front of the building. They pushed and shoved their way through to the other side, not losing sight of one another, and found an alleyway close by. As they stepped farther down the alley, the sounds of the horde faded. They turned several corners and found a small nook to change outfits.

Vander again removed his contacts and his wig and changed into his dark ninja suit, transforming him into his Raiden persona.

Dr. Mirren put on a similar suit of dark material that would allow him to travel with Raiden and stay hidden within the shadows.

Dr. Mirren had devised a method that would allow them both to teleport freely. A physical linking cable kept them bound together to make the process possible. It made things difficult, but it did the job.

Raiden used his visor to calculate the teleport. They simultaneously pointed their arms in the direction of the roof above. In the blink of an eye they vanished and reappeared several stories up, giving them a much better vantage point.

Raiden walked to the edge of the building and began to process the interior of the Sky Canopy generator building. The huge structure took time to complete the full reconnaissance update. His blue eyes illuminated as they switched back and forth between the various fields of vision used to compile the information. Dr. Mirren took out the core and fiddled with the shiny cylinder as he waited. The old man showed no signs of nerves, but Vander knew his mannerisms well, the old man was certainly anxious. The actions that they were about to take carried heavy implications on the general future of mankind. The fate of the Sky Canopy loomed in front of them.

51 Snow

Back in the holding room, Snow, Jathen and the others waited patiently. It had been almost forty-eight hours when the door finally opened. The small group filtered back into the stainless-steel hallway. The far end of the hall had opened into another room and the group jogged to it.

The following room was very spacious with the feel of a technological industrial plant. A long table stretched across the center of the room, covered with various mechanical odds and ends. The wall on the right was sprinkled with television monitors silently depicting events within the city. On the floor in front of the wall, three proportionately spaced holo-vision sets displayed different transparent image from inside the city. A fourth in the corner looked like a top-down view of Columbus. Odd contraptions and machines had been shoved into the other corners of the room, some covered with canopies, others lay exposed, revealing strange protruding edges. Against the back wall sat a grouping of cabinets and drawers, filled with tools that would have left a mechanic shop envious.

A loud voice boomed in from above. "My friends, again I apologize for holding you captive, but trust me it was for your own good. By the time you will be listening to this message, we will be safely on our way back to the city and far enough ahead of you that you will not be able to stop us if you wanted too. As I mentioned before, my indications are that a large Feral war party is readying an attack on the town of Columbus. At the time of this recording, nothing had happened yet, but I fear the assault will come at any time. Help the people and defend the town. Use the teleportation device in the following room to return to Columbus.

"In the following months, you will be tested beyond anything you have experienced thus far. It will be the most difficult period in history for the survival of mankind. For those of you with special abilities, understand that you have been given them for a reason. Use them to fight for humanity. You are the future."

The voice of Dr. Mirren ended and the room went silent.

Jathen spoke first, "So what do you say, guys. Back to Columbus?"

They all mumbled their agreement.

Jathen turned to Snow. "How about you, Snow Angel? Are you going to help us in Columbus or are you heading back to the city to chase down the core?"

"It appears as though I have failed the mission of recovering the core, but that may just turn out to be a good thing. If Columbus needs me, I'll be there for them."

Tan stood waiting at the far end of the room. "Well... what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here. The teleportation device is over here."

They hurried into the next room, which forked in two directions. A living area veered off to the left and to the right a large machine sat humming quietly next to a boxy elevator-looking smaller room. Tan looked over the machine. "It looks like they left enough power for us to return. I'm guessing this will take us to Vander Lee's house where we found a matching unit a few days ago. What do you think, Snow?"

"Lets find out," she said and motioned for the small group to pack into the elevator-size unit.

"Cool," said Wilcox, "I've never been in one of these before. Do you know what you're doing over there, Tan?"

Tan looked over the controls. "I think so, doesn't seem too hard. One button looks like it does the trick." He pressed his finger into the red dot on the wall and the group felt the strange sensation of pulling in the pit of their stomachs as they hurtled instantly into another place.

Just as Tan had predicted, they found themselves in the basement of Vander Lee's Columbus home. Snow knew where to go and she led the team up and out of the house and onto the street.

"Damn it's good to be home," said Wilcox. "I wasn't looking forward to the journey back. That teleportation thing just made my day a whole lot better."

"I'm with you there, buddy," said Tan.

The evening air felt warm and inviting. Calm and quiet, the town streets glowed softly, bathed in a pale light that spilled out from the nearly full moon above. As they walked down the pothole-filled street, Snow noticed something strange; a very subtle change in how she felt. It was as if she had quickly gotten ever so slightly more tired. If she hadn't paid attention to the sensation, she may have missed it, but it was there. She checked the digital reading on her visor and noticed her suit again acting erratic.

She spoke up, "Do you all feel it? It must be as the doctor said. The generator is pulling the ambient energy from us. It's unmistakable when you know what to look for. It's not like I'm feeling sick or anything, but something just isn't right, and my suit is not acting right either. Let's get to the wall and see what's going on."

As they made their way through town, the eerie silence and long shadows made the place feel like a setting in a horror film. Eventually, they arrived at the southern most edge of the wall. Nothing seemed to have changed other than the moon had risen to its full height and peered down from directly above. Tan hurried up to the nearest gun post.

"How are things going, soldier?" Tan yelled up to the man sitting at the gun-tower turret.

The man turned slowly and peered down from his position on the wall. It took him a second to recognized the speaker. "Tan? Glad to see you, man. Things could be better, honestly. We're running low on manpower today. Someone said you were off on some important mission. Two-thirds of the watch are sick, and we're running on a skeleton crew. We've had two small Feral attacks today. We managed to hold them off, but we need help."

"That's what I'm here for, my friend. Where did they attack?"

"They're focusing on the south side of the wall. Two attacks in the same hour. It was rough, man."

"Well, good job. We have a few more men to put on the wall. Everything is going to be OK."

Tan turned back and lowered his voice so that only his group could hear him on the ground. "Two attacks in an hour? I'm guessing they're testing us for weaknesses. He said we're way down on manpower and he looks like shit too. Wilcox and Samms, you know what to do; get to a gun and stay focused. I'll fill in the rest of the group."

The two men raced off to man the vacant guns and Tan looked up at the nearest empty seat. "Man, I would love to check the perimeter with the thermal vision, but none of them are working. I fear there may be a horde of Ferals waiting just out of sight."

Snow looked down and checked her suit for night vision capability. It still worked normally. "Let me get up there and take a look, my equipment is working."

She climbed up the ladder and stood in the small oval chamber of the machine gun turret. She switched over to night vision and looked out over the landscape. Her heart skipped a beat at what she saw. It looks like a nest of ants has been stirred up. Movement filled the ground just out of range, only these weren't ants, they were Ferals, lots and lots of Ferals.

She hurried back down. "Big problems, there is a lot of activity out there, she said with a slight bit of panic in her voice. "The doctor was right again. Ferals are everywhere out there. We definitely have a fight coming. You're going to need to show us what to do, Tan. You'll need all the help you can get."

Tan brought the remainder of the group up to an empty gun turret. They squeezed into the space, and Jathen, waiting on the ladder stuck his head up just enough to see. "Easy to operate," said Tan. "Just flip the switch and squeeze the trigger; point and fire.

"Now... before the fight begins, if you see them come into range, hit this button." He pointed at a round blue button mounted on the side of the control panel. "This will warn the other gunners of the attack. If you happen to see a red light—that's bad. Means your ammo is out and it's time to fall back to the inner ring. The battlements should rise in the event that we are forced to retreat from the main wall. We will have extra hand held weaponry waiting for you behind the small walls on the interior. We will put up our last stand there before they reach the town."

Snow had managed to get a good look at her surroundings on the way from Vander's house. The defenses consisted of a long, circular wall that encased the entire town. A river provided natural defenses to the west, and barren open land surrounded the rest. The attack was expected to come from the south, where the defense placed its focal point. Smaller walls arranged in angled directions made up the inner defenses, forcing the attack into mild bottlenecks. From there, the Horseshoe stadium was the last resort.

Snow took the gun near the center of the south and Jathen climbed into another farther down the wall. As Snow slid into the seat, she realized she had not seen Jake since they arrived at the wall. She called down to Tan who was about to head to another gun. "Tan, have you seen Jake?"

He looked around. "No, now that you mention it, I haven't seen him since we got over here. Maybe he high tailed it back home. I hope he's not stupid enough to try and get back there alone. I know he's good, but if there are as many Ferals out there as you said, he'd be on a suicide mission."

"Shit, I hope not. Keep your eye out for him."

"Will do. Good luck."

Snow turned around and looked out at the darkness. She hoped Jake was OK.

52 Swelter

Looking out over the husks of old army vehicles that sat useless as they faded into the distance of the darkened warehouse, Swelter contemplated his options. It had been several days since they were forced to retreat below ground to avoid the Feral onslaught. He was tired of being stuck in this underground tomb and he wanted to get out. He guessed that the Ferals were waiting outside for him and his remaining men to make their move. They could either sit down here and starve, or go down fighting. Either way, it didn't sound promising.

He jumped down from the armored SUV hood he had been sitting on, and walked over to the nearest man he could see in the dark gloom of the facility.

"How are we doing on ammo, Sergeant?" he asked his second in command. Sergeant Sandress was one of the two that survived the attack.

"Not good, all our ammo is on that broke-down vehicle we had to leave stranded. We weren't expecting this ambush when we got pushed down in this hole. Most of the men are only carrying the ammo that's in their weapons." He pulled out his side arm and slid the clip out to count the bullets. "We're basically screwed and waiting to take a load in the face. Those damn creatures are just sitting out there waiting for us. They must have taken down the two men we left with the stranded vehicle, or they would have made it here by now. Our options certainly aren't looking too good, sir."

"Damn, I can't get anyone on the radio either. Nothing. I can't even reach my partner, Snow. She's out here somewhere. If only I could get my fucking suit to recharge. I used up all the energy trying to recharge the vehicles myself. That wasn't too brilliant of me. Of course, now I can't recharge. Great time to have the thing malfunction, huh?"

"I can't help you there, sir. All I know, is we need to do something soon. Our rations are running low. There's nothing down in this big old garage, but a bunch of useless old military vehicles. Hell, none of them even have any weaponry on them."

"Yeah, this must have been a pre-Feral army base or something. These vehicles used to run on gasoline or whatever. Now, there isn't any more gasoline, all these vehicles are just sitting down here collecting dust. What a waste."

"Just to confirm, we have done a thorough search of the place and there is nothing of use... at all. About the only thing these old SUVs are good for, is to take a nap in."

Swelter wiped some dust off the nearest vehicle; it created a small cloud before it evaporated into the darkness. "I wish I were a better strategist. Maybe I wasn't the right man for the job."

"None of us expected this, sir, I wouldn't blame yourself." The grizzled old Sergeant adjusted his eye patch. "I don't think you did anything wrong. No one could have known what we ran into. The men... They aren't acting right either. We're all suddenly—I don't know—tired or something. Hell most of them are off sleeping right now."

Swelter didn't reply. He sat back and thought about his options again. He didn't like the thought of them being trapped and helpless. They were all soldiers. It was time for action. If they had to die in battle, so be it. He wasn't going to go out lying down.

"Well, I think it's time we wake them up. One thing is for sure, we're not going to just sit in here and wait for the end. We're going to go out in a blaze of glory. Assemble the men and get me a count on the ammo we have left. We're getting out of here... one way or another. If we're going to go down, then we're taking some of those hijo de putas with us."

The Sergeant smiled for the first time. "Sounds like a plan. Sir!"

53 Vander

Connected with a black linking cable, Raiden and Dr. Mirren began the final leg of their journey. First Raiden needed to determine where the best place for entrance would be. They devised a plan around stealth, and the basement levels were their best shot to not be detected. It would be the least expected way in. They found a building with a basement adjacent to the lower levels of the generator and made their way inside. Raiden navigated them to the farthest wall possible and Dr. Mirren pulled out a stick that unfolded into a long pole-like contraption.

Dr. Mirren operated the long, thin machine from one end and drilled a quarter-sized hole through the wall. He continued drilling through the dirt and concrete until he had made a tiny tunnel that reached all the way into the Sky Canopy generator building itself.

The teleportation technology allowed them to pass through walls using infrared and thermal vision, but solid ground was another matter. They needed a clear passage long enough for a beam of light to pass through in order to make the jump.

When the drilling was complete, the two men double-checked the connection cable that linked between them, and then Raiden aimed his beam of light down the tiny tunnel. The thin shaft of light shot down the hole and the men instantly vanished from the spot, reappearing inside the generator facility.

They disconnected from one another and melted into the shadows of a corner. The dimly lit room contained plenty of shadows shrouding the environment in darkness. Pipes twisted and turned in all direction, hissing and creaking with whatever substance flowed through them.

They stayed crouched low in the safety of the darkness as the sound of footsteps approached. Clacking sound rang out from the security guard's heals as he passed by just a few feet away from their position. When the sound faded, they began the journey.

The open-spaced lower levels were filled with large, boxy equipment, circular machines embedded into the ground, and layers of catwalks that passed by overtop. The low lighting gave the intruders many places to hide as they crossed the long plant floor moving from shadow to shadow. The heavy machinery grumbled and whined as they skipped from object to object, all the while staying out of sight. They needed to get to the next floor, but the extra thick concrete and steel structure of the building made it impossible to get a sonic reading of the floors above. Teleportation was not an option, so they needed to take another route.

The stairwells, littered with cameras and motion detectors, made that path rather difficult, so they took the direct approach. The quickest way between two points is a straight line and they exercised that statement by using the fastest route up, the lightvator. They passed through the walls and into the inner cell of the nearest one. No cameras could be mounted in a lightvator due to the nature of its operation.

The two men relaxed and pushed the button that took them upward. When the doors to the chamber opened, they had only a split second to teleport to a safe area. Raiden stood ready with his arms outstretched, as the first crack in the doors appeared, they vanished. Dr. Mirren stumbled over some unused computer components as they reappeared into another set of shadows. He fell to the ground causing a loud crash. Vander placed his hand on his sword hilt waiting for the guards to come, but nothing happened.

The second level was bright and well lit with little to no shadowy areas. The long halls were filled with movement of both guards and workers. Raiden knew which paths to take and he started them out by phasing into a long, narrow hall, filled with moving pistons and open-air fans. The danger of the equipment left the room vacant, allowing the intruders safe passage to teleport to the far end. Navigating the remainder of the floor went relatively smooth; Raiden anticipated where they could walk freely, where they needed to wait, where the guards were, and where the cameras were mounted. It was a slow process, but they gradually got closer and closer to their destination.

The first of the final three rooms became the first real test. Dr. Mirren's knowledge of the facility proved to be invaluable as he explained the dangers of the next room. Meant to serve as a trap for any intruders, with pressure sensitive floors and walls, the memory storage department posed a real challenge. A drop of water would set the system off, bringing down heavy steel doors that would trap everything inside. The security had been upgraded, but the infiltrators had done their due diligence and Raiden readied himself for the test.

Dr. Mirren could not continue with this leg of the mission. This was a task for a skilled acrobat, and Dr. Mirren was far from it. He found a spot to hide under a dark staircase and melted into the shadows. Raiden would signal him when it was safe to proceed.

Raiden's heart pounded in his chest. He had never attempted something so challenging. It would take all his skill to make it safely through the room. With no clear path from door to door, he needed to use his teleportation ability to traverse the room. The large, black blinking memory banks stretched from floor to ceiling making the room into a maze.

He quickly calculated his length of teleportation, took three deep breaths to steady himself, and then vanished from the doorway. He appeared near the high ceiling of the large room, and began to freefall downward. He had only a split second before he would hit the ground. He aimed and vanished again. This time appearing near the back of the room, he turned in midair, contorting his body to get a clear shot at the door. Gravity again pulled him toward the pressure sensitive floor in a hurry. Upside down and backwards, he aimed and vanished.

He felt his back hit the ground. A shot of pain from his injured ribs almost caused him to yell out in pain. He looked up and found himself on the other side of the door. It wasn't exactly a perfect-ten performance, but he had made it.

He didn't linger, on to the next obstacle. The second test came as a much harder personal challenge. He knew what had to be done, and as much as he didn't like it, he continued forward with his sword drawn.

Five security guards blocked the only path forward. Stationed in a brightly lit, thermal controlled room, the guards could not be avoided. If he wanted to get to the Core Containment Center, he had to engage them. 'War makes us do things that we may not be proud of, but the hard choices may be the difference between life and death.' Master Itcharu's words echoed in his mind.

He couldn't jeopardize the mission by allowing the guards to have a chance to fight back; he needed the element of surprise. Using his thermal vision, he saw three men sitting at a table and two others near a monitor. He began his attack by teleporting up onto the table where the three men sat playing cards. He swept his electrified sword in a circular arc, cutting through the top portion of a man's head. He circled with the blade and cut down the second guard. With one guard remaining at the table, he continued his flow of motion that brought the blade above his head and back down on the man with the most chips. They all lost in this game.

Raiden hurtled across the room and quickly dispatched the other two guards with a wide looping arc of his blade that took them down in one swing. He surveyed the room for any other movement, but found nothing but silence. He disabled two cameras and turned off the security from the previous room, and then made the signal for his adopted father to join him.

Dr. Mirren arrived breathing heavily with sweat dripping down his face. When he saw the dead bodies of the security guards, he proceeded slowly and knelt to the ground, speaking a few quick words in memory of the fallen guards. The old man was no soldier, and Raiden knew he hated seeing the dead guards.

He waited near the next door, hoping that Dr. Mirren would not take too much time. Finally, Dr. Mirren approached and put his hand on Raiden's shoulder. It was time for the two men to take their separate paths. Raiden removed his silver faceplate to make eye contact with the older man.

He embraced his adopted father, squeezing tightly. He knew what came next, and there were no words to be said. Dr. Mirren stepped back and gave him one final nod of assurance. He then turned and stepped out of sight while Raiden replaced his faceplate.

The entranceway into the Core Containment Center gleamed with its shiny stainless-steel walls. The heavy, metal double doors barred passage from any intruders and the man standing guard just in front was none other than Granite himself. The large statuesque figure stood waiting silently as Raiden entered the chamber.

54 Jathen

Jathen Fields sat in the gun turret waiting for the inevitable attack to come. He felt uncomfortable in this position; firing heavy machine guns didn't suit his style. He would rather be on the ground, thrusting and parrying—up close and personal. When the time came he would squeeze the trigger, but it was the fight on the ground that he relished.

As he sat and waited, he found his thoughts wandering toward Snow—how she must feel about what she had learned. The Sky Canopy seemed to be the problem after all, and she had been trying to support it. He understood her frustration and he thought she handled it well. He looked over toward where she sat and saw the top of her spiky black hair through the dim light of the moon. The things you get yourself into, Jathen.

In the silence of the night, he began to hear shouts off in the distance. Then he saw the inside of his gun turret fill with blue light as the warning signal went off. The crackle of gunfire followed and he calmly gripped the hilt of the machinegun. Time for some fun.

The quiet night erupted with the deafening sound of heavy gunfire from all around. The attack came from all sides and the cold gray wall lit up with the pulsing bursts from the gun turrets.

He squeezed the trigger when the first monster came into range. He felt the vibration of the weapon as it discharged its long shells downward. There were so many targets, it was hard to choose just one. He focused in on the closest and watched the artillery cut it to shreds, but many more were coming. He continued to fire at the relentless number of Ferals that bounded back and forth toward the wall. They came forward with uneven spacing making it difficult to target more than one, but he did the best that he could.

He could see Snow doing a better job than he was. More dead Ferals had fallen from her gun than his. He didn't like losing at anything, and it only made him try even harder.

He aimed and fired, aimed and fired. The bodies began to litter the ground, but more came forward. The horde grew closer and closer. It was only a matter of time before they would make it to the wall. He hoped the gunners would thin down their numbers enough to have a chance.

He flipped a switch on his gun and the ammunition changed to explosive rounds, the rate of fire took longer, but the damage was greater. As the rounds exploded into the ground, the creatures began to space themselves out even more. They knew what to expect and reacted to it.

Through all the gunfire, the first Feral made it to the wall and began to climb up. Then another, and another. Jathen looked down as they dug their claws into the steel and concrete, clinging to it like a spider. The wall barely served as an obstacle for such a creature. The dark-gray forms looked like shadows on the side of the wall as they scrambled upward.

As the Ferals clung to the walls, men with hand-held weapons stood on a narrow pathway on the top of the wall and shot directly down. The Ferals dropped like flies, but more filled their spots.

Jathen saw a Feral break the summit to his right. The gunner at the top used his handgun to kill it, but soon another appeared. He fired his gun with determination, but eventually the firing stopped. The turret swayed as the Ferals overtook the position.

The creatures on the ground began to funnel toward the hole in the defense, bearing toward the empty gun turret. Was this it, was this all it took for them to overcome the wall? It happened so fast. He tried to turn his gun and fire at the horde, but it was no use.

Suddenly, a bright burst of light on the ground caught his attention. Flashes pulsed as gunfire flanked the horde that threatened the wall. Several more threads of light joined the first and the crossfire pounded into the mass of Ferals, scattering their advance. Whoever was down there had successfully halted the first wave.

Jathen squinted his eyes to make out who or what had helped. He could just see the tattered clothing of some of the shooters, a small group of freedom fighters. Standing near the back of the pack, with rifle in hand, was Jake. He had brought his lost group of Border Patrol with him, and they couldn't have come at a better time. He didn't know how the kid got to the old downtown area and back in time, but it sure was welcome.

The Ferals turned their efforts toward the new threat. Jake's soldier friends wouldn't last more than a few minutes.

"Tan, Open the gates. It's Jake's group. Get them inside before they get slaughtered. I'll help clear a path with gunfire," yelled Jathen out over the wall.

Those on the ground began to move toward the gate and the Ferals followed. The turret gunners provided them with cover fire and they crossed the expanse in a hurry.

The heavy doors slid open enough for the small band of freedom fighters to slip inside. It was at the last moment that a creature lunged and took down one of the nine men that accompanied Jake. As the doors closed, eight young men stood breathing hard, they had lost one of their own, but they had averted the first real threat.

Jathen peered back out into the darkness; he knew the battle was far from over.

55 Vander

As the battle raged on in the distant town of Columbus, Raiden faced his final adversary, and the last leg of his path of vengeance. All his hard work and years of training had taken him to this moment. Now he had only to defeat one of the mightiest warriors in existence. But first, he needed to lure the big man out of the room and away from what he guarded.

Granite didn't waste a moment, he sprang forward as he had before, only this time, Raiden was prepared for the attack. He vanished as Granite Swung his hammer into empty air. Raiden had teleported from the spot and reappeared next to the opposite door he entered.

Raiden slid a throwing knife from his belt and threw the blade at Granite. The large man turned quickly and raised his arm, deflecting the knife harmlessly off his armor.

Raiden used the distraction to open the door into the stairwell. He needed Granite to follow, giving Dr. Mirren a chance to slip in behind them toward the unguarded Core Containment Center.

A swarm of security guards waited on the stairs with weapons drawn. Raiden quickly jumped the rail and vanished before they had a chance to shoot. He reappeared back at the bottom of the stairwell pausing long enough to make sure that the guards and Granite gave chase. More guards came rushing forward when Raiden entered the vast space of the plant floor. Blinking from corner to corner, ladder to ladder and room to room, he avoided his pursuers. They had obviously prepared for his arrival, but all their tactical attempts to corner him failed. The cat and mouse game continued as he led them away from the Core Containment Center.

Eventually, the guards and Granite split up and flushed Raiden toward the Thermal Cooling Department. Entering from the upper level, he found himself forced out onto a catwalk that hung above three large steel drums with a network of pipes and tubes.

Granite had doubled around and stood on the far end of the catwalk. "Seal the door," he commanded in a deep voice.

The guards obeyed, and locked the heavy metal door behind them. Raiden had gotten them far enough away. He quickly surveyed the dimly lit industrial room; it opened up beyond the enormous steel drums to a wide, flat spacious floor. This was as good a place as any for his final battle.

"End of the line, nowhere for you to go, Ninja. The steel is too thick for you to teleport out of this room. Where is the core?"

Raiden raced to the center of the catwalk where it split off into the bottom portion of a T shape. He cautiously walked backward, keeping his front toward his adversary until he reached the end. It hung above the open floor below, and Granite stalked him slowly out onto the would-be plank.

"The core is here, in this complex. Check for yourself."

Granite paused as he searched through his Vir-Comm. "Strange. I checked this earlier when you first appeared, but there was nothing. Now it is reading as if it is back in the Core Containment Center."

Raiden felt relieved by the news. Granite had confirmed that Dr. Mirren had successfully entered into the room and things were now underway. It also meant that he could now have his duel with Granite. "Your readings are correct, and you can rest assured it will be placed back into the generator."

Granite edged slightly closer to Raiden. "If you had intended to bring it back, why did you steal it in the first place? I suppose it is not of my concern. My job is to stop you." He moved forward with the dim light dancing off his heavy armor, and then he paused again. "You were able to keep the thing masked. Interesting. Seeing that you are here, and the core is there, you must have an accomplice." He radioed back out to the guards to have them check the Core Containment Center. It would seem that my partner failed in her mission to recover the core."

"If you are referring to Snow... She did track us down... ironically to the same place that you did some twenty years ago. Only this time it was a different outcome."

"Did you kill her?"

"On the contrary. She has been enlightened. No harm was caused to her in any way. If my assumptions are correct, she should be in Columbus aiding them on what we expected to be a huge Feral invasion." He stepped back to the edge of the catwalk.

Granite slowly inched closer. "Well that clears up just about all of our loose ends. I'm sure the guards and scientists can handle whomever you brought with you to cause more mischief. My part is to make sure you cause no more problems."

Raiden waited for him to get closer. Hopefully he would charge, but Granite was too smart for that, and approached cautiously.

Raiden waited, and just before he was within reach, he flipped up and backward spreading his arms and vanishing into the air. He materialized below on the flat floor.

Granite quickly followed by hopping over the rails off the side of the catwalk into a freefall. A gush of steam slowed his fall as he landed with a heavy thud.

"Are you going to keep running dark ninja or are you going to face me?"

"No Granite, I will run no further, this is where it ends."

56 Mirren

Dr. Mirren had used his own fail-safe security system to enter into the Core Containment Center. He closed and sealed the door behind him, no other human would ever enter this room again.

He looked at the site of the ambient energy focal point; a dark void filled the center of the clear case. It looked like a tiny black hole had ripped its way into reality, pulling the light and all other energy inward. It had to be stopped. He carried the only tool to do just that.

The core needed to be reinserted. With the adjustments he had made, it would redirect the flow of energy back out into the atmosphere, and set the flow of energy back to normal. Unfortunately, it was at the price of a one-way ticket.

Dr. Mirren prepared for his final act. He reached into his nap sack and pulled out the shiny, metallic core. He slid his hands over the cylinder in a methodical method, sliding his fingers this way and that. It began to emit light from within, as it started the process of syncing with the containment center. Dr. Mirren sat Indian style on the cold, hard floor and waited for the process to complete.

57 Snow

Snow and the rest of the rag tag band of defenders fought with all their might to keep the city safe, but all their efforts seemed to lead to the same conclusion—defeat. They had lost several gunners, and even with the help from Jake's group, the defense on the wall would soon give way. The soldiers looked and acted drained, they were slowly giving in.

A snarling head full of sharp teeth popped into view just in front of Snow. catching her off guard. She slammed into the back of her seat, but quickly gained her composure and the monster fell back to the ground with multiple ice shards protruding from its face. They are getting closer to taking the wall, she thought.

Only a few drones still hovered in the air. On both her left and right, more Ferals had reached the walls. They were climbing up everywhere. Several guns had become unmanned and another mass of monsters rambled toward the openings. She fired one last barrage of bullets at the oncoming storm before the red light lit up her turret. She was out of ammo. It was time to head back down the ladder. The wall was lost.

She scurried down the ladder and crossed the expanse to the final defensive position. Slipping behind one of the smaller walls, she noticed Jathen had done the same. She saw he had readied himself for the ground war. Carrying his unusual forearm blades and wearing his Spartan-like helmet, gave him the appearance of a gritty warrior.

Snow surveyed the remainder of the defense. The smaller interior walls were designed in such a way to create bottlenecks, placed in angled directions so the soldiers could force the attack inward, to face a heavy gunner. The guns were smaller, but there were more on the ground than on the wall.

She knelt on one knee and powered up her wrist weapons. She would use whatever power the suit could spare. It was at that point that she realized she was hoping the doctor and Vander completed their mission of shutting down the generator. She knew if it continued to pull the ambient energy, her suit would eventually run out of power, the men would fall to exhaustion and the town would be lost. She looked around at the other soldiers that defended the town; they looked like zombies kneeling along the low walls. By their appearance, she knew this might be a short fight.

Hearing the sirens ringing out throughout the town, Snow knew that it signaled for those still able to either aid in the fight or head for safety. She guessed many women and children had fled to the Horseshoe stadium, while most of the men—who still had strength—took up fighting positions on the ground. She hoped any extra bodies would help.

She barked out orders to those around her, some listened and some didn't. Positioning the men around her to create crossfire, forcing the funnel of Ferals toward her, would give them their best defense. Hopefully her energy supply would hold out.

Jathen urged the men closest to him to stand with Tan; he would face the storm alone. He stood in the open space all by himself, waiting for the onslaught, a warrior of a different kind. Snow had found respect for the sarcastic fighter. He talked big, but he backed it up. She had seen him in action before, and seeing him stand before the others gave her a slight sense of confidence.

Time was short, and the monsters had begun to scurry over the wall. The first stragglers were taken out easily, but soon the mass overtook the wall and surged toward the last remaining fighters. A slight lull allowed her to look around at who was still fighting.

A sight from a horror movie, like insects pouring out of a hive, the Ferals swarmed over the dark wall and raced toward the town. Only the soft, tired men and women stood in their way. The machine guns fired and the ice shards flew, but the monsters kept coming.

Jathen became a whirlwind of death. His weapons sliced and ripped at anything near him, with a graceful dance of blades that took him forward and back, side to side. No monster that approached lived. The men that fought on his flanks and funneled the monsters toward him found it hard not to watch the brilliance of the warrior at work. Watching him kill Ferals was like watching an artful performance.

The battle raged on with bullets and blades, teeth and claws as the moon passed by slowly overhead. Men and women fell to the claws of the Ferals and others fell to simple exhaustion. The resistance seemed to be holding, but Snow wondered for how long. She brought down many Ferals herself, but the usual cold air that radiated from her suit remained absent, with the power supply dropping quickly.

Even Jathen began to look tired, Snow could see his helmet had been knocked off and his brown hair was matted against his forehead with a mixture of sweat and blood. His graceful movements were getting sloppier, and he favored his right leg.

The monsters had almost broken through on Tan's side. His group had lost half their numbers. They held the line by a thread. Even Jakes group appeared to have taken more casualties and they seemed to be low on ammo. Just when Snow began to feel the tendrils of despair, something else rose over the wall.

The silhouette of a bulky, horned head rose slowly above the steel structure. This beast was much larger than the smaller Ferals that squirmed over the wall around it. It clambered over the wall and dropped to the ground, with the sound of a small earthquake. The defenders shuddered as they looked upon the towering figure of a Doom Bull.

The muscular creature reared back its head and roared. Then with a menacing snarl, it lowered its horns and charged toward Tan's defenders. The men fired with everything they had, but the creature's hide proved too thick, the bullets either bounced off or couldn't penetrate deep enough.

It crashed into the soldiers like a freight train. Stone, dirt and men flew out from the collision, punching a huge hole through the flank of the defense. It swung it's horned head from side to side killing anyone that still lived. With a roar of victory, it charged off into the heart of Columbus.

Tan and his men lay broken and motionless on the ground. Snow felt her emotions trying to escape, but she tried to stay focused on the fight in front of her. Now was not the time for mourning. The concentration of Ferals came straight at them and the hole in the defense needed to be filled. She instructed a group of men to fill the void, trying to salvage what she could. She turned to look for Jathen, and saw him sprinting out after the Doom Bull. She felt her heart sink. That cocky fool thinks he can take down the beast by himself. Not only did he leave a weakness in their defense, it was a suicide run, there was no way he could defeat such a creature by himself.

58 Raiden

Deep inside the mega city of Cleveland, within the giant Sky Canopy generator facility, two warriors faced each other on a cold, flat, empty floor. Surrounded by heavy equipment and the sounds they emitted, neither man moved as the stare down continued.

"It's over, Dark Ninja. You're trapped in here with me. There's nowhere to go," said Granite.

Raiden spoke calmly. "I am exactly where I want to be. Last time I wasn't ready to face you... this time I am ready. You are the last of the four that are responsible for the deaths of my family. You personally killed my mother. Tonight you will pay with your life."

"I understand your anger, and you shall have your opportunity to kill me. All you have to do is beat me one on one. It won't be easy, but I will give you your chance." He shouted to the security guards. Leave us. I will take it from here." He waited until they had left the room. "You must understand, Dark Ninja, what I do is for the safety of the city and its people. I am a soldier and I take orders. Your family was an obstacle that needed to be overcome. Their lives were taken so that many others could live."

Vander began to slowly circle his enemy in a clockwise motion. "I know who you are Granite. I know that you can infuse yourself with adrenaline and strength, that you can suppress fear and pain, and that you can be void of emotion. But what I didn't know, was that you also suppress your intelligence. Can you not think for yourself? Dr. Mirren could have saved many more lives if only they would have listened to him. He learned that Sky Canopy wasn't the answer. Your leader feared that the doctor would use that knowledge to turn the public against him."

"Huff was a brash man. He was a man of action. But, he was also for the people. You say that Sky Canopy is bad, but what has it done? It has protected us."

"It is killing everything and everyone around it. It appeared useful at first, but as time progresses, it will do more harm than good. You must be able to see that."

"I see things yes, but as I said, I'm a soldier. I let other more qualified people do the deep thinking. I'm just the enforcer. Sky Canopy protects the people. I protect Sky Canopy. If you seek to destroy it, then I seek to destroy you. If I am condemned for my actions in the afterlife, so be it. I do what I can to protect humanity. If my death will help the people—then may you defeat me in battle. Prepare yourself, Dark Ninja."

Raiden raised his sword above his head, pointing the end toward his adversary. The edge filled with blue electrical energy. "Then... for the people!"

He met Granite head on as their weapons collided in a shower of sparks. He glided by and turned for another pass. Circling and attacking, striking and recoiling, it was a firework display of a battle.

Raiden took the offensive this time. He struck with intent to kill, with quick deadly strikes. His techniques were of an ancient style, passed down from the legendary Samurai duelist Miyamoto Musashi. He could hear his master's words as his form changed on each attack, from the art of fire, to wind, to water, flowing with each single strike. 'Keep your opponent off balance, keep him guessing. Never let yourself become predictable.' This was not a fight he intended to lose.

Granite was of equal ferocity. He used his heavy war hammer with skilled precision, sweeping and arcing in a flow of bone crushing strokes. Both hands wielded the single hammer of destruction, bringing more of his strength to each blow.

Raiden wondered what happened to the second weapon. Granite had wielded two hammers in their first confrontation. Now only one remained. He continued to change his form and angles as the dance shifted around the room.

Granite backed Raiden up toward a wall, but Raiden moved faster, using the help of teleportation. His equipment provided an advantage, helping him to escape every time he was cornered. The tactics would become aggravating to a normal person, but Granite was relentless, like a machine, he didn't slow, tire or lose his cool. He just kept coming.

Raiden began to tire as the fight wore on, and the throbbing pain in his rib had become a nuisance. He didn't have the stamina of the larger man. His speed kept the fight even, but he knew something needed to happen or he would soon lose that edge. He desperately tried to break Granite's defense, but the bigger man was too good. Every attempt was deflected.

He continued to fight with every ounce of will and determination. His whole life had led him to this point. He needed just a sliver of space and his sword would do the rest. Granite's armor could not stop the electrified edge of Raiden's blade; only the hammer could protect him, and Granite's anticipation with the weapon was simply too good.

With another clash of sparks, Raiden felt a jolt in his arms from the impact. Granite was slowly beginning to take the lead in their dance of death. Raiden hoped Dr. Mirren would get the core back in place soon; he didn't know how much longer he would last.

59 Swelter

Swelter's heart pounded in his chest. He knew this was it, time to meet their destiny. They were locked and loaded with all the ammunition they had left, ready to head out into the night... guns blazing.

Their chance of survival was no better than an ice cube's chance in hell, but he knew this was what they had to do. Either go for it now, or wait and rot in this tomb of a building.

There wasn't any need to worry about his faults as a leader. This was the end of the line. Live or die. All the men gathered behind him, backing his decision. If it was their time, then better to go down fighting.

Swelter stood at the front of the pack. He slammed the doors open and burst through, unleashing automatic fury from both the assault rifles he carried. The men behind him followed suit. They shot at anything that moved in the pale moonlight. The flashes of gunfire lit the area up like the Fourth of July.

About a dozen Ferals lingered on the open ground; they were targeted first. At the sound of gunfire more came into view. They rushed out of the buildings and dove from the rooftops. Too many to count, just lots of targets to shoot at.

Swelter kept his back to his comrades. He let the fever of the battle take over. He didn't want to think about what came next. The small group moved slowly away from the door toward the gate of the city. The ammo went quick and soon the gunfire began to fade. Swelter felt his finger pull the trigger and nothing came out of the left gun. He let it fall to the ground and tried to sparingly use his remaining ammo. The other men had nearly exhausted their small supply of ammo. They pulled their side arms and emptied them as well. The inevitability that they would run out of ammo came sooner than they thought.

Swelter dropped his empty weapons to the ground and tried one last time to engage his power suit. It was no use, there was no juice left. The men huddled together and drew their utility knives. They looked out into the night at all the snarling faces that surrounded them and waited for the end.

60 Jathen

Following a trail of destruction, Jathen pursued the huge Doom Bull. He had to hunt it down and stop it from getting into the Horseshoe Stadium and slaughtering the townspeople. He felt bad about leaving Snow and the others alone to defend the wall, but someone had to try and stop the beast.

His arm stung and his leg hurt. More tired than he could ever remember, he pushed on. He had always wondered how he would fair against a Doom Bull, now he could find out, even if he was not at his best. His usual steadfast confidence had begun to waver. Still, he wouldn't allow himself to think about defeat. He had to try and stop the monster... at any cost.

He passed by a demolished home. Debris littered the street: wood, metal, and concrete spread across the ground. A hand protruded from a pile of cinder blocks and several other limp bodies lay amongst the shambles. It was too late to help them, but he could hopefully save some of the others.

He could hear the monster as it destroyed another house in the distance. His legs felt heavy and his breathing erratic. Was this what it all came down too? Was this going to be it? He barely had the energy to continue pursuing the monster, let alone fight it. I'm just too tired. Need to rest a minute. He fell to his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

He glanced up at the rusted street sign, as the blurry letters took shape, realization set in as to where he was. The path of destruction headed right toward his friend Stanly's house. He forced himself back up and on his feet. He couldn't let the monster kill his friends. He had made a promise to Jassette, telling her he would protect her if she needed him. He couldn't allow himself to fail now.

The moonlight provided enough light for him to see down the street. He could see the house. It was still intact. The monster hadn't gotten there yet. He noticed some movement on the front porch, a small, lone silhouette. It had to be Jassette. What is she holding? A rifle?

Jathen limped forward. He wanted to get to her, but his legs wouldn't carry him fast enough.

Then he saw it. The monster crashed through a house across the street, reared back and roared as it emerged from the rubble. Fire burned within its black, beady eyes. Swinging its heavy head back and forth in frenzy, it drove its thick shoulder into the nearest home crushing the side of the structure inward. The house folded in on itself and crashed to the ground. As the monster stumbled back into the street, it noticed the small lonely girl standing in front of her home. It raked its foot in the ground and readied to charge her.

*****

The pressure had really begun to mount on Snow as well, exhaustion had set in and her suit's power level ran low. With the Ferals bearing down on her position, as they continued to flow over the wall, she wondered if this was the end. After all these years of fighting crime on E-Squad, the thing that would finish her was the thing she fought to protect. Sky Canopy's draining effects caused her power suit to fail, and it sucked the life out of the soldiers she fought alongside. She looked over at Jake's band of gunners as they protected her flank. She had gotten them all into this mess and it was all her fault. She had been manipulated and used by the AOCC leaders and this town would fall because of their ignorance.

61 Mirren

Dr. Stephen Mirren sat on the cold, hard floor of the Core Containment Center reflecting on his life when the object sitting in his lap began to glow and hum. It's time, he thought. Time to end what he started all those years ago. Finally he would set things straight and have the peace of mind he craved.

His stiff, old body creaked as he rose from his seated position. He cradled the core in his arms like a football as he slid the glass doors open. The pull of the generator gripped him immediately. The dark void in front of him acted like a vacuum for energy. He could feel it pulling the life from his body, he had to hurry and put the core in place.

His arms outstretched, his fingers gripping, his heart pounding, it took every ounce of strength he had to fasten the core back in its resting spot. It fought against him, like trying to push two ends of a magnet together of opposite polarization. The dark spot that fed itself with energy at the center of the void did not want to be redirected. It was like a force of nature all on its own.

Dr. Mirren's determination kept him going. He forced the object in place, and the shimmering core hung in the dark hole of reality. With all the will that he had left, Dr. Mirren slid his fingers over the cylinder, and the object sprung to life. The doomed man slumped to the floor as the core took over.

A white light enveloped the room as the flow of energy reverted backwards. It exploded outward like a silent atomic bomb. Waves of energy convulsed through the generator facility and blasted out into the atmosphere. The surrounding universe flooded with an abundance of ambient energy.

62 Raiden

As his battle with Granite slid near the edge of defeat, the rush of energy hit him like a shot of exhilaration. Raiden immediately felt the effect of the blinding white light as it energized his body. He had expected the effect, but the feeling itself almost overwhelmed him. His mind felt suddenly clear and focused, his body quick and agile, the weariness of battle, gone.

The big man must have felt it also, but he couldn't use what he didn't expect and Raiden took the initiative. His sword glowed like a lightning bolt of power, his speed increased rapidly, and he struck with renewed vigor. Strike, recoil, change, strike, shift, recoil, strike, his momentum carried effortlessly. Granite tried to keep up, but the samurai sword moved too fast. It slipped by his guard with a shower of sparks and bit into the right side of his armor, down across his chest.

Granite stumbled back from the sheer force of the blow, a mortal wound that would surely kill him, but he fought on. Vander knew that Granite felt no pain, and adrenaline would surely be coursing through his body like liquid gold. He couldn't let up. 'Never assume your opponent has been defeated... Do not stop until victory is certain.'

Granite lurched forward with another powerful swing of his hammer, but Raiden side stepped and the hammer slipped by toward the empty ground. Shifting his stance in the blink of an eye, he brought the sword upward and sliced through Granite's outstretched wrists. The Quake Hammer clanked to the floor uselessly. The relentless big man turned and reached out with his cauterized stumps, in an attempt to grab and squeeze the life from Raiden just as the electrical sword plunged in and through his chest. He continued to struggle momentarily before his menacing form slumped to the ground. The light within his helmet flickered, and went out for the last time.

Raiden stood looking down upon the fallen body of the once powerful warrior. Finally. Finally he had gotten his retribution. Twenty years had he waited for this day. From the rape and death of his mother to the murder of his two brothers, this was the day he had coveted. He had dedicated his life to this task, to make those pay for the atrocities they had caused. Finally, he had completed his mission. His purpose was fulfilled.

63 Swelter

Swelter and his men stared at the faces of the snarling Ferals. Heavily outnumbered and nearly out of any kind of ammo, they readied themselves for the end. Suddenly, a bright light appeared from the west, radiating out from the city of Cleveland. The men covered their eyes as the light engulfed them.

After several seconds the event ended, leaving the men shrouded in the darkness of the night once more. But something had changed, Swelter felt uncannily good. He didn't feel tired or anxious, and the aches, pains and weariness had vanished. He glanced at the power levels of his suit. Somehow, miraculously, it had powered up. He couldn't believe it. The suit was at full capacity. He felt nothing but pure glee.

"Stand back, fellas! It's time to light these fuckers up!"

Two columns of orange flame spewed forth from his arms and roasted the closest, leering monster. He circled, letting the stream snake out in a graceful flow, scorching any Feral nearby, and reducing them to crispy, blackened carcasses. He walked slowly forward, pouring fire from his arms like a human blowtorch.

The men followed their human fire-breathing dragon and marched toward the gate. He knew they would cover his back, but he didn't need much help. With his targeting system at full functionality, he released laser-guided fireballs at anything that moved toward them. Smoldering forms littered the ground as the gate came into view.

With a final push, they made it to the heavy metal doors of the outpost. Swelter turned and roasted anything that lived behind them. His suit seemed to be running on overdrive or something. He had never experienced this much power before.

As they passed through the gate, they entered into the dark void of openness beyond. What waited on the other side was another horde of teeth and claws. The monsters were scattered about, between the gate and the distant form of the stranded vehicle, but upon the emergence of the soldiers, they came running.

Swelter smiled under his visor. "I got something for these guys, I've been wanting to try this out. Keep back from me guys, it's about to get a little hotter out here.

He reached back as far as he could with both arms causing his chest to expand outward, then he threw both arms forward and the motion triggered a response from his suit. It sent a massive swarm of tiny fireballs out in a radius from each arm, leaving the area much warmer in its wake. The swarm rushed forth, like a shower of fireworks, each small ball of flame finding a target, and bursting into blue fire, cooking the Ferals alive.

He watched his handiwork as the fireballs flew into the distance like crazed fireflies, burning up anything in their path.

"Good timing sir," said the sergeant. "I thought we were all goners."

"So did I," said Swelter. "I don't know what happened, but whatever that light was... it sure did help. Let's get to that buggy and get these weapons reloaded. Then we can get the hell out of this place."

64 Snow

When Snow saw and felt the white light, she knew immediately that Dr. Mirren and Vander had succeeded. The ambient energy had been released and the Sky Canopy generator was working no longer. She felt exhilarated from both the light itself and the knowledge of its source. Her power suit level rushed to full capacity, and she attacked with renewed energy.

The air in her vicinity began to cool, snow particles floated to the ground and a light dusting of white snowflakes surrounded her. Anyone in the area could feel the effect of the chilly atmosphere. Finally, she was able to use her full ability.

Her powers were heightened, her senses acute, her suit worked beautifully. She fired ice shards of death with deadly precision, twisting and turning her body to gain the proper angles to bring down her foes. She raised the rate of fire to its highest setting, obliterating any monster that stood before her.

Taking a moment to look around, she noticed the men around her fighting with renewed vigor. Some of the wounded had rallied and regained their positions, and those that had fallen to exhaustion were back in the mix.

She led them forward, pushing to clear the interior defenses. The monsters did not fall back, but they did fall to the ground. She leaped from the inner wall and fired an endless stream of ice as she ran forward. Ducking and rolling under the first set of claws, she turned and cut the monster in half with a hail of razor-ice. Springing back to her feet, she whirled back around to face the next creature that took so many shots around its head and shoulders that it looked like an entirely new species. She continued forward as her comrades followed behind cutting down any Feral in front of them.

The ferocity of the assault had cleared out most of the Ferals, but the attack left the defense with many casualties, only the monsters beyond the wall still remained.

Snow had an idea. "Open the gates. Allow them to come to us," she called to the men on the wall.

"Are you crazy, lady? We just cleared them from the inside. Let them stay out."

"Just do it!" she ordered. "I have a plan to finish this." That white light powered up my suit enough to try this. I just need it to last...

The giant, heavy steel doors slowly swung open, and Snow stood alone between them. She looked on as the lingering Ferals noticed the opening. They immediately charged toward the open gate. This was her chance to get a little pay back. She waited until they began to get closer, then she placed her fists together and the cold air that surrounded her got colder, much colder.

The doors and the walls around her gathered ice and the ground turned stone cold solid. The Ferals dove headlong at her, as they breached her bubble of influence, the hyper cold air froze their bodies solid. More continued to come at her, and each one of them that broke the barrier, experienced instant frozen death, like being dipped into nitrogen. She had created a vortex of ultra cold air that killed any living thing, except her.

Once she had her fill and the creatures lay frozen and shattered on the ground, she retreated back within the walls. The battle was truly over and the good guys had won.

Once the doors were shut, a cheer rose from the remaining defenders. The monsters had been repelled and the day was theirs.

As the cheers faded, Snow noticed the group of broken defenders that the Doom Bull had broken through. She ran over and quickly found Tan's limp, lifeless body. She knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Rest in peace my friend, you will be remembered." She lowered her head as a tear rolled down her cheek.

65 Jathen

The Doom Bull readied itself to charge the small girl on the porch. It would smash her like a rag doll and Jathen couldn't do anything about it.

Then, the white light swallowed him up, completely reenergizing him. The pain, the fatigue, the weariness, it was all gone. He felt unstoppable.

He still needed to get to the monster before it killed the girl. He felt energy build from within, and his body swept forward. He had never experienced this effect before. Somehow, he had closed the gap between himself and the Doom Bull with a simple thought. It was like he flew there.

He didn't have time to think about it. He lowered his shoulder and drove it into the leg of the charging monster. Defying the laws of physics, the huge creature upended as if it had hit an immovable object.

It crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust and dirt, its huge horns digging deep grooves into the earth. It grunted and rose slowly back to its feet.

Jathen felt no fear. His confidence had returned. No way would this creature survive this night, he thought.

He stood like an ancient Spartan warrior, his uncanny blades at the ready, his eyes locked on his foe.

When the monster lowered its head and charged, Jathen evaded and struck, his blade biting deep into the thick hide. The monster roared in pain and lunged out with its huge hands to seize him. As its claws closed around him, Jathen sliced downward and the blades drove in and through. It quickly flung him like a rag doll at the nearest house.

He crashed into the wood siding like a wrecking ball, the force of the impact causing him to black out. As the world blurred back into shape he realized he had only been out for a moment. He regained his composure just in time to avoid a plunging fist as it crashed into the wall. He rolled to the side and staggered back to his feet. The relentless beast attacked again, pounding its fists into the ground, narrowly missing Jathen's legs.

The house caved in around them as the huge creature thrashed about. Jathen couldn't risk an attack at the flailing monster. One blow could spell his doom. He needed to create space. He jumped backwards and dove to the side, hit the ground and rolled back to his feet. Shuffling further sideways, he backed out into the street.

The monster charged again, huge sharp horns and claws thundered toward Jathen. Waiting for the precise moment, he jumped into the air, rising much higher than any normal human. Like a pole-vaulter, he plunged his blades into the monster's shoulders and swung his body over its head. He landed on its back and drove the blades into its neck. Slicing through sinewy muscle and bone, the blades came together and separated the head from the shoulder like a giant pair of scissors.

As the body hit the ground, Jathen jumped off the dead monster and ran over to the young girl. She dove into his arms and hugged him fiercely. "I knew you wouldn't abandon us, Jathen. I knew it! You came back! Thank you! Thank you for saving us."

He smiled and held the girl in his arms.

Jathen waited at the house with Jassette until he felt she was safe. He didn't hear anymore gunfire and he figured the battle was over. He wasn't exactly sure if they had won, but he figured he would have seen more Ferals if they had lost.

As he made his way back toward the wall, he noticed the darkness of the night had finally begun to give way to the warm rays of the sun. The sky grew light pink as the orange sphere rose over the horizon. It had been a long night and the friendly light of the sun was more than welcome.

The bodies of the Ferals were numerous. The creatures had already begun to decompose and the stink from there rotting corpses smelled unpleasant. Ferals decomposed very quickly, rather unnaturally.

Jathen stepped through the piles of bodies and looked around at the scene of the battle. Hundreds of dead Feral bodies lay sprawled across the ground and draped over the walls, but he knew there were many, many more wherever these came from. Today was a victory, but the war had only just begun. He wondered if he would be a part of that war.

"Make sure you burn the bodies of the Ferals," he told a passing soldier. "We don't want anything left unfinished."

"We're on it, sir," said the soldier with a friendly nod.

As Jathen waded through the carnage, he could see Jake and his group attending to their wounded. They had been a great help and he made a mental note to thank them properly. He stepped over a bloating monster and noticed a figure making her way toward him. It was Snow. She looked radiant even in the wake of battle.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering what happened to you," she said.

"I had to go save a young damsel in distress from a huge terrible monster."

"She must be a lucky girl."

"Indeed she is."

"The monster you are referring to is the Doom Bull?"

"Was... the Doom Bull, I introduced that big 'ole beast to the ends of my blades."

"You managed to take the thing down yourself?"

"Did you have any doubt?"

"I guess not," she said with surprise in her voice. She moved closer to him and changed the tone of her voice to a more serious one. "You know, I wasn't sure what to think of you at first, but you've grown on me some."

She placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "Thank you, Jathen. You've saved my life and you've helped this town." She pushed him away playfully. "You're not quite a scoundrel after all."

"Oh, give me a chance and I'll change your mind."

"That might be tough. I've seen the real you."

"You think so?"

"Know so. You're just a big softy."

He laughed and shook his head.

"By the way, how would you like a spot on the team? We could use a guy like you. I can probably put in a good word."

"E-Squad?"

"Yeah. I think I can pull a string or two. But first you'll need to find a place to stay in Cleveland."

It finally sank in, Jathen realized he was going to get what he wanted. He was going to live in Cleveland. There was probably a lot of work yet to be done, considering what he expected Vander Lee had done. But his goal had been met.

Guess it was time to set another. "You mentioned that I needed to find a place to stay, Snow. Can't I just sleep over your place for a while?" he said with a mischief smile.

She squinted her eyes. "Hmm... nice try. I'm not quite that easy," she smiled over her shoulder as she turned to head back into town.
Epilogue

Raiden stood on the top-most peak of the now non-operating facility of the Sky Canopy generator. He looked out at the awakening city surrounding him. He watched in solitude as the daily activities of the citizens began to get started. But something had changed.

The overhead sky had darkened and the secondary lights were all that lit the interior of the giant city. Thousands of fluorescent lights faded into the distance in all directions, the digital projection of the sky existed no longer. The canopy itself would no doubt be removed as its function had ended when the generator shut down.

The erratic power surges had stopped, and normal activities could once again commence. Now, only the secondary power provided the majority of energy for the city. It would keep the city moving, but it would not protect them as the Sky Canopy once did.

Vander looked on silently reflecting upon the events of the last few days. His purpose in life was completed and he had gotten his revenge upon those that had murdered his family. The energy-siphoning machine, along with all the problems that it brought with it, was no more.

He allowed himself to think back to the time he spent with his family. Finally, he could let himself see them in a light other than a driving force for revenge. Finally he could remember them as they once were. He had spent so long dwelling on the horrors that had befallen them, driving him toward his goals. For years he had repressed the memories of the happy times. Now, he could let himself feel the memories of love.

He thought back to his younger days, of playing catch with his brothers, helping them with the chores, sitting together at the dinner table and listening to his mother read them stories at night. Most of all, he allowed himself to remember the warm embrace of his beloved mother. She would be missed, but not forgotten. A tear rolled down his cheek within his mask as he remembered his lost family.

Eventually he composed himself and began to ponder his future. He didn't expect to ever return to his childhood home now that Mirren was gone. He didn't know if there was a reason to go back to his Columbus home, and his master's life had ended in Meadville. His old life had little left for him.

He thought about how he might help Cleveland now that it no longer had Sky Canopy to protect the people. He had been recruited as a child to do that very thing. Maybe he could help Snow and the others. After all, he was an Ultra, and humanity needed them now more than ever. Whatever the case, his future lay out in front of him; he could choose whatever path felt right.

He jumped from his perch and vanished into the air, when he reappeared, the next chapter of his life would begin.

The End.
