Game Of Saviors - ONC 2021

Chapter 9 - Urban Warfare

The next morning, kept awake only by a caffeine buzz, Norae steps back onto the treadmill in training room 37. Plucking at her skintight gloves, her gaze absentmindedly trails along each of her unit members. A line of weary faces, minds pushed to their limits, bodies put through the ringer. How much more of this will we be able to take?

Hand hovering over a big red button on the control panel, Lt. Brass waits impatiently for the unit to be ready. "Let's move it. War waits for no one, ladies and gentlemen."

Putting on her headset, Norae closes her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath as her mind flashes through worst case scenarios. Every day is a gamble, never knowing if you're going to live or die this time. And the scariest part is, this isn't even real yet. But once they go back out into the real world...

Is this what reality will be like?

Eyes flicking open again, Norae observes pixels falling into place. Bit by bit, a new world forms before her, revealing itself slowly as the data loads in. First, she sees a skyscraper, then a car speeding by, then a busy intersection. Amazed, she looks at the digital life unfolding, perfectly imitating reality to a point where she almost wants to believe she's left Deliverance.

But as she reaches out, her hand eagerly searching for a connection, she's left disappointed yet again. The people walking past her move straight through her arm, as if she's not even there to be perceived.

Arm slumping down to her side, Norae takes a step back, leaving the fabricated masses to proceed down their predetermined paths.

Squealing brakes echo down the street as a big SUV pulls up nearby, breaking through the ordinary bustle of the city. Surprised, Norae watches as four doors are thrusted open in unison and armed men jump out. They lock onto her position instantaneously, raising their AK-47's as they open fire without a second thought.

A scream breaks from her lungs as Norae is jerked back into the alley behind her, a pair of a strong arms pushing her into a brick wall. Leaning into her with his full frame, Nash braces himself as a hailstorm of bullets flies directly past them.

Gazing down from his 6 foot 2 standpoint into Norae's wide green eyes, Nash takes her hand. "Get ready to run."

The moment the shooting stops, Nash pulls Norae off the wall, leading her down the alley at a pace she can barely keep up with. Navigating around a corner, Nash quickly sets his sight on an escape plan as Norae eyes the advancing enemies behind them.

The alley leads them out onto another busy street, but Nash doesn't slow down. Instead, he drags Norae straight into traffic, narrowly avoiding the cars as they speed by. Norae can practically feel the smooth aluminum sides of the vehicles graze her skin, certain that she won't make it to the other side in one piece. But somehow, Nash pulls her through.

In no way slowed down, he leaps across the pavement and into a parking garage. It is then that his escape plan becomes clear to Norae. Coming to a halt in front of a random car, Nash picks a loose brick up off the ground as Norae looks back at the exit. Peering out into the street they came from, she can spot the armed men trying to carve their way through the heavy traffic.

The sound of glass breaking pulls her back into focus, and she watches as Nash carefully reaches through the broken window and opens the car door from the inside. Jumping into the driver's seat, he opens the passenger door for Norae.

As she gets in, Norae throws a surprised glance in Nash's direction as he begins pulling wires from underneath the steering wheel. "You know how to hotwire a car?"

His only answer is a knowing smile.

Turning to look through the rear windshield, Norae spots the armed men entering the parking garage. "Nash... you better hurry up!"