Genova (Re-uploaded after editing)

Chapter 1

 All around me explosions sounded in the distance, some closer than others. Shrapnel and mud rained from the sky constantly. Bullets shot through the air, pinging off of the torn fragment of a brick building I was hidden behind. My breathing heavy and ragged, assault rifle in hand, I hid as other soldiers ran towards the enemy fearlessly. Peering over the rock, in the thick fog and smoke I could hardly see more than 20 feet ahead of me, yet bullets still whizzed by. Was the enemy just blind-firing into the fog, or did they somehow know where I was?

I sat, building my courage. On the Heads-Up-Display in my helmet, I could see markers indicating the location of my platoon members. There was a cluster of them around 100 meters away, so I built my courage and ran from behind the rock. My boots crunched as I clambered over rubble and debris, forging my way through the mist. Suddenly, a figure appeared before me, unmarked by my HUD, clearly an enemy soldier. I hit them hard and we tumbled through the mud, my gun being wrenched from my hands. Wiping my visor of the mud, I was face to face with the enemy, my gun lying a few feet out of reach. They had dropped theirs too.

In an instant I rolled, desperate to be faster than them, grabbing my rifle, and opening fire on the enemy just as their fingers touched their own rifle. As their body fell to the ground, I was informed I had gained a new rank. I stood up and resumed my dash toward my teammates, not looking back at the body I had left behind. They were huddled in the ruins of a building. As I approached a few of them aimed at me with their rifles, though lowering them upon seeing me clearly.

"We're in a bad situation," I said, "It looks like we've only got around 20 people left."

"We know," the leader of the group said, "We're just waiting out the clock for the round to end."

"You're giving up?"

"Yeah."

"You can't give up! As long as we're alive we can turn this around."

"Why are you so serious?" Another member said, "It's just a game."

"It's a game designed to train and test us. Put some effort in!" I said.

"Eh, if you want to get shot go for it."

"I will," I said, turning towards the enemy once more. I grabbed a clip of ammo from off the gun of one of the group members before running towards the enemy. I didn't make it very far, however, before a stray bullet hit me in the head, taking me from the game.

Pulling off the headset, the dim lights of the arcade strained my eyes. I could see all the others around me, the whole room filled with virtual reality stations. In their own consoles, some people were running, others sitting, some waiting, each of them completely engrossed in their small piece of this battle.

I grabbed a wet wipe and cleaned the sweat from off the padding of my headset. I was blinded as I stepped out of the arcade and into the street, the bright lights of the ring glowing overhead. Ahead of me was the road that curved the full distance of the ring, stretching out ahead of me, turning upwards, and disappearing behind the ceiling in the distance. The city was bustling with noise which reverberated off the walls of the megastructure we inhabited, a city-sized room that contained most of my species.

The noise was stifling, but it was home. As I walked through the street towards my apartment, I observed those around me. I was virtually invisible to them, nothing more than an obstacle. As I worked my way through the crowded streets, and the rest of the city disappeared behind a wall of people who towered over me, I was reminded of how short I stood compared to even the average person.

Finally, I arrived at home, outside of the anxiety-inducing crowds, free from the judgment of others. I could recharge here. My clothes were damp with sweat from the strenuous virtual battle I had taken part in. I peeled my shirt from my torso as I decided to take a midday shower. I stretched, feeling sore from the activity, listening to the quiet clicks of my scales as they flexed under my white fur. In the mirror the bright grayish blue of my eyes was reflected at me, glinting in the light of my bathroom.