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A Universe Scathed - Part 3
Posted By: Adam Stark<Xvash2@sbcglobal.net>
Date: 16 September 2008, 5:09 am
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"Karen…"
"Nick, what the hell!? Were you the one that shot the supervisor in the dorms?"
"He was going to sic the cops on me."
"What do you mean? What did you do?"
"Yesterday, back in Macerr City, I broke out of the hospital. I killed a lot of cops. Don't you know who I am?"
"What do you mean?"
"I killed the mayor."
"When? Macerr has had the same mayor for the past four years!"
"Wait, what year is it?"
"2552."
"Oh my God. I was in a coma for seven years?"
"Yeah, there was that guy who was killed awhile back. I wouldn't know, I just moved to Macerr about five years ago. You were the killer?"
"Of course I killed him! The sick fuck was a psychopath!"
"Hey, calm down. I'm your friend here. And probably the only one. The Mercs want your blood."
"Can you get me out of town?"
"I can get you back to Macerr City. Hop in the Jarhead."
"No, take me to Kalaa."
"Fine, but only because…never mind. Get in."
I smiled and opened the door to the passenger side of the vehicle, throwing my bag in first. She keyed the ignition and sped out of the garage. I looked back to see dozens of armed mercenaries running into the building, wanted me dead and my head atop a pike. Too bad for them. I looked to the road ahead. A dusty highway, my uncertain future. I looked at Karen. She was a puzzle in herself. Expressionless. She kept on driving, and for a while, I could not figure out why she was helping me. We sped for an hour until we hit the Intercity Expressway.
Had I really escaped? Nobody would look for me. I was a criminal from another time. Nobody cared about me. And the mercenaries wouldn't look as far as Kalaa, that's for sure. Maybe I had done enough killing. I certainly wouldn't find peace in death. Maybe I'd take the spaceport out of Kalaa, go somewhere nice, somewhere safe. With living people, loving people. Yes, that was the new dream. That was my new Eden. The Expressway took us by the Sea of Macerr. My God, how beautiful it was, late in the evening, the star disappearing behind the mountains, casting a golden light upon the waves. Maybe even this place could be Eden. We were exiting the road there, pulling onto a small drive that led to the sea. But then I realized this wasn't right.
"Why are we turning here? This isn't Kalaa," I asked, puzzled. Was she betraying me, or did she want to spend time with me?
"The man you killed, the supervisor. Well, he had been around the guild for years. He was like a brother to all of us." She paused as we pulled up to the lake. She turned off the vehicle and got out. I got out as well, still wondering what in the hell we were doing at this place.
"Except…he actually was my brother."
"Karen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"Fuck you and your sorry, Nick. You're a sick fuck who loves to kill. So do us all a favor and go fuck yourself!"
"Fuck you." She drew an M6 and aimed it in my direction. "Fuck you and your gun." Her finger motioned, and I ducked away behind the Jarhead, just in time to dodge the bullet. I grabbed my bag from the open vehicle and unzipped it. I pulled out the M6G I had bought, but I only had one mag. Not enough for a gunfight. She ran around to the side and fired at me, the brass 12.7mm casings ejecting from the weapon. I ran around to the back and flipped of the safety. I fired two shots around the side before sprinting for the trees. She fired again and again, but always missed, instead sending up puffs of sand on the small little beach. Hopefully the pine forest that bordered the sea would give me some shelter. I turned and fired two more rounds. Shit, I can't waist any more, that left me with four. She kept firing, but soon ran dry, reloading on the chase. This was my chance. I turned and dove to the ground, aiming carefully. She looked up just in time. Oh God, just in time for me to shoot her in the head. Blood poured from her as she crumpled on the beach, dead. I got up, throwing away the handgun. I brushed off the sand and walked over to her dead body. She didn't even have time to close her eyes. They just sat there, open, a thousand-mile gaze that was glazed over. I sat down next to Karen. Close, but far enough that the pool of gore wouldn't stain my pants. I hadn't meant for it to end like this. She didn't deserve to die. I had to take responsibility for this one. She was no mayor. She was no monster. I picked up her body and placed it in the back of her AMG Jarhead. Soon, I heard sirens in the distance. People call cops when there are gunfights. Fuck, it was over for me. I was not comatose this time. I would be put to death soon. But still. For this, I had to face the consequences. And with that, I rested on the beach, enjoying the peace for that small moment.
How do I plead to the murder of Mayor George Greenfield? Not Guilty. I perpetrated a crime against a monster, not against a human. For the deaths of the officers? They were in the way. The mercenary supervisor? Self-defense, he was going to take me down. The receptionist? Face it, that old fart had lived too long anyways. But Karen Newman? I was guilty as sin. It was a mistake to kill her. She was innocent in a guilty world. And I was part of the guilty party. Death sentence? So be it, I'm dead anyways. Best make it quick. Now get me out of this fucking courtroom, I am done with this life.
Death row is a funny place. I am amazed at how long the dead are kept alive. To me, it would seem simpler to just be put to death in the courtroom once convict is sentenced. Such a waste of time, a waste of money, a waste of manpower. Seemed like a suitable place to keep me until my time came. It's almost like a free hotel. Room service, exercise areas, a library. I enjoy it all at the expense of the people. Still, every day is the same, sometimes I can only tell the day and time by what I am eating and drinking.
However, I did not know that a red letter day was about to occur. I had a visitor on this day. Odd, nobody comes for me. Intrigued, I stepped out to talk. UNSC officials? I was never affiliated with either army. After all, I had resigned when the Insurrection. began. I did not want to be part of this circus show of stupidity. But his offer. That is the true gold of it all.
A free ride out of prison, escaping death by chair, death by needle. For what? I would become their soldier. A platoon of us. Death Row convicts and the like were to be trained for high-risk military operations. The world's most expendable soldier created out of the world's waste. Nobody would be heartbroken if I were to die. A perfect candidate. At first, I said no. I wanted the punishment for ending that poor girl's life. I'm a criminal now, not a soldier.
But, wait. Opportunity is abound on this momentous occasion. I could escape and fix what I did. I should not have condemned myself so quickly. Yes, I will join your little military venture, Major. Sign me up. I would have never expected escaping prison to be this easy. At the end of that red letter day, over forty of us escaped death row.
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