Striker

Evelyn awoke with a start, a stark white room greeting her. Overhead, heavy surgical lights blinded her, making her squint as she took in the surroundings. Airy linen sheets were pulled up to her chest and several monitors tracked vital signs through tubes in her arms.

“Hello?” She said into the bustling void beyond the curtain in front of her.

“Hey, E.” Grant said, sitting to her side deep in thought.

“Grant!” She said, jumping from the bed pulling the tubes out and pulling him into a tight embrace.

“Easy, easy, you’re still recovering.” Grant said, gently untangling her, “I need to talk to you.”

“Of course, you aren’t hurt, are you? What happened?”

“I’m fine, but I need you to answer me something.” Grant said, his demeanor the most serious Evelyn had ever seen.

“Go ahead.” She said, backing off and sitting down.

“What do you know about Null?” He folded his arms across his chest.

Evelyn's eyes darkened, her posture stiffening.

“How do you know him?” She asked.

“Tell me who he is to you.”

“We were in the Facility together. How do you know him?”

“Met him last night. Killed my patrol partner and told me some strange things.” Grant said, eyes narrowing.

“Grant, I- I haven’t been completely honest. I’m sure you can deduce that Null and Markus are the same. The same Markus from the Facility I told you about.” Evelyn looked away in shame.

“You said he was dead right, that you killed him.”

“I did tell you I was worried he wasn’t dead. I certainly thought he was dead, though, maybe not as I told you exactly.” She said, her voice rising.

Murmurs came from outside the room.

“Want to talk someplace quieter?” Grant asked.

Evelyn nodded, slowly putting on her clothes that lay neatly folded on a chair, wincing with each movement. The two pushed through the mild crowd and into the cold morning air. They walked in silence, watching their breath fog in front of them. Hovercraft flew overhead, blowing a gentle breeze through the air, kicking up the dust on the landing area. They reached the end, walking along the well-tended paths until the main expanse of the city disappeared behind them and the outer city walls drew closer. Next to them was the older section of the under-city, slightly in the light, leading to the maw of an entrance to the undercity.

“We were friends, like I told you. Maybe a little more than friends. Markus and Null are one in the same. Markus was registered 000 after the experiments started, the Director removed him from the books. He was referred to as the Null project. Augmentations for a weapon against,” she motioned around her, “anything they could find to fight.”

“But it grew into something more, didn’t it?” Grant asked, the conversation with Null fresh in his mind.

“What did he tell you?” Evelyn said, turning in suspicion.

“Tell me it isn’t true, E. Tell me we aren’t the bad guys.”

“Is that what this is? Some deluded fantasy of heroism for you?” Evelyn scoffed.

“We harvest people, Evelyn. We aren’t the shepherds protecting the flock, we are the butcher making sure a wolf doesn’t claim his kill first.”

“I’m not doing this right now, Grant. I follow orders, I’ve never done what… what you’re suggesting I do. I’m not some monster just because I went to the facility. I’m not a monster for wanting a comfortable life. God forbid I just want to live.” She snapped at him, a shamed rage building in her throat.

Grant stared in disbelief; the pair's fierce silence broken by a notification on Grant’s tactical pad. Grant read it, carefully examining the message, eyes widening in shock.

“Agent Striker is here. You and I are to meet him.” He spoke.

“Affirmative.” Evelyn said, turning to go back.

“Evelyn, we can’t leave like this. I need to hear you say that what we do is wrong, what we do to the people in the undercity is wrong.”

“Come on sergeant, that’s an order.” Evelyn said.

“E-”

“It’s Officer Mays.”

Two EVAC pods approached, tearing through the morning gloom.

“We can discuss this later, Sergeant Braum, after this mission is complete.”

“Yes, Officer Mays.” Grant said, sadly snapping a salute.

The two were silent the entire pod ride to the defense force headquarters. Upon landing, Evelyn stepped out cleanly, the perfect model of a soldier. Grant followed suit, making certain to walk further behind her than normal, keeping his cadence in time with hers. They entered through the large bay doors to the entrance, spotting the Director instantly. To his side stood a disheveled looking man. A head taller than Grant, with jet black shaggy locks that hung down to his shoulders.

“Mays,” the Director said, “You seem to be missing a uniform?”

“Sir, I was in the hospital until recently this morning.”

“We will see that she is properly dressed before we leave, Salus.”

Evelyn took a step back unconsciously; it was the first time she had heard anyone refer to the Director by his first name.

“Yes, Striker, that is grand. Evelyn, Grant, Striker's presence in the undercity will undoubtedly draw Null out of hiding. We’ve presumed that is what he is after, killing the defenders of humanity and sowing chaos. Capture him, return him alive.”

“Yes, Director.” Evelyn said, giving a smart salute.

“And Evelyn, if our friend Markus is in fact Null… you will have failed your final test at the Facility. I will see this as undisputed grounds for your return, this time for neophyte candidacy.”

“Yes sir.” Evelyn said, her eyes brimming with a cocktail of emotion.

“I’ll leave you to it. Goodbye.”

The Director walked away, already involved in another task on his pad.

“Let’s go suit up, we’ve got poor people to kill.” Striker said, sarcasm thick in his voice.

The armory was nearly empty this time of night. After each had scanned in, they surveyed the remaining supplies. Striker remained at the door, watching the two.

“Don’t you need a weapon, Agent Striker?” Evelyn asked cautiously.

“I’ve got my own don’t worry. You two get ready.”

Grant and Evelyn donned the normal patrol gear, each taking a plasma lancer, the gun humming to life in their hands. Striker stretched, a nanosuit covering his body in a shining metal. A large dark blue sword grew into his hand, and he rested it on his shoulder.

“I work on first names,” Striker said, “I’m Andreas.”

Evelyn took a step back, the breach of protocol taking her by surprise.

“Grant.” Grant said, outstretching a hand to shake Andreas’.

“Evelyn.” Evelyn said, following suit.

The trio exited the armory, garnering stares from everyone in the headquarters, the rare sighting of a neophyte moving anyone not actively on duty to take a peek. Andreas moved forward as if he didn’t even see them. His gilded armor moving slowly as he did, reforming to better suit his body with each step.

As they left the building, and onto the landing strip, Andreas turned to them with his helmet retracting. His eyes grew cold and calculating and his posture changed to that of a coiled predator, waiting to leap for a kill.

“Fill me in, what’s really going on?”