HMS Valediction

Chapter 21.2

"Halt!" A voice shouts. Three golden soldiers appear from around the corner and point their sticks at my heart. "Remain where you are."

"Like hell I will." I spin toward them, ducking down to grab the black sand. I throw it at the left guard's face. When he stumbles back, I grab his neck, throw him to the ground with my bare hands and kick in the second guard's knees. A gold spear hits me hard in the shoulder, slicing my skin. It stings. I pick up one of the fallen soldier's spears and aim it at the third.

The weapon is clunky in my hand.

Of all the objects I've ever trained with, this one has never been on the roster. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing.

Trying to get the sharp end into the fleshy part of the soldier, I lunge. He ducks and easily slaps the spear from my hands. I roll and obtain it again, crouching down and mimicking his posture.

"Do not attempt to fight or flee–" his words are a calculated dance. I can almost hear the next sentence before he even utters them. "...and no harm will come to you."

"Sorry. People from Earth have major trust issues these days."

His brown eyes harden from behind his helmet. "We are from the same mother. I am also of Earth."

I pause. Confusion scrambles my previous thoughts.

Lies.

More and more lies.

I swipe my spear across his neck. He dodges easily.

"The people will be safe." He returns to his defensive position.

"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot." I break the spear over my knee and wield the point like a knife. Much better.

He jabs at me, but now that I don't have a six-foot pole slowing me down, I drop to the ground and swing my legs under him. He falls and I cut right through the only part of him untouched by gold. Blood cascades down his neck. Another feast for the sand.

The others rise. I run before I have to end any more humanoid life.

I take another spear and break off the tip. Holding a spearhead in each hand, I search for more standing in my way.

No more golden soldiers follow me. No yaks either. I run through the streets, checking for signs of my son in each alley and cross street.

The city is eerie in its new silence. My bare feet pattering against the pebbled ground becomes cacophonous. Soon, a familiar sound joins.

Tik tik tik tik tik.

I pivot and face John, his head a misshapen bulb of goo dangling from his torso. I grimace away from his gelatinous jaw hanging from a thick chunk of the orange flakes that used to be his neck.

"John! I thought they killed you."

I throw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his torso. His upside-down, flopping chin pokes me under my armpit. I nuzzle the flaky skin of his chest.

I'm about to let go until I feel the heat radiating from his core. One of his spindly legs presses down on my shoulder.

"We have to go." I step back.

John whizzes in that same excited fashion I know so well. He spins around as if to head back to ARC10, his orange torso rising, waiting for me to follow.

"No, this way." I walk in the opposite direction.

His legs jitter.

"I'm searching for my son. I won't go back until I find him."