Chose Sacrifice

Bell flips Elena’s desk over. She gives little reaction, remaining seated as Bell tosses more items across the room. Liang watches from the corner, her hands at her waist.

“A month, I’ve given you both an entire month! Both your children will die here if you continue to play this game. Elena! You have the solution, why not choose it! Your children will live, you can disappear afterward for all I care.”

“And what of everyone else? If I give you the ability to create superhumans, I can’t fathom what disasters will happen.”

“Disaster? We are planning for the future you all deserve! Peace, for you, your children, for everyone. But to do that we need control, we need you. This is all I ask of you.”

Elena laughs. “You’ve lost it Bell. I believed in you when you first found us. You still had that childish hope inside of you, but this world has even managed to take that away from you. How heartbreaking to see what you are becoming. That world of yours, it’s not what I want for myself or my family. It is not one anyone should have forced on them.”

“I do not expect you all to understand what I strive for, but I do expect you to understand your circumstances. Elena, Liang, you two are out of time. Issac will not return; this is the only chance you have at saving them.”

The lights cut off, emergency energy keeping the dimmest lights on but main energy doesn’t return after a minute. Bell reaches for his weapons, there is no noise outside and no one has communicated with him about the power failure.

“It could be a short of some kind.”

Bell! Do not leave that lab!

“Hello?” Bell speaks into his radio. “What’s going on out there?!”

5 minutes earlier.

“We have the entire base mapped out from above and inside, hacking into their drones was easy thanks to you, Zara.” Lily said.

“I’m only doing this for my friends. Promise you will get them out.”

“Of course.” Veronica stares outside of the light train windows as they approach the Syndicate base station. Her smile wide as the base comes into view. “Not bad, Bell, but you’ve so much to learn.”

The train car is filled with recruits from Ventura. All wearing light clothing, face masks, and equipped with three pieces of technology: a hoverboard, a weapon of their choice provided by the newest recruit to Ventura, and communication ear pieces created by Zara and Artem.

Veronica and Lily also hold special casa fitted with AI made by Artem. The AI specializes in hacking which the technology in the Syndicate has little defense for as they’ve yet to expect such an attack.

“When the lights go off, we strike!” Veronica yells to her people, the resounding response shakes the train car.

The lights of the Syndicate base turn off. Drones begin to fall from the sky, casa robots return to sleep mode, robots stand still as they attempt to reboot but fail.

“What’s going on with this thing?” A guard at the Syndicate base asks.

“Hey look!”

From the station, a swarm of hoverboard riders soar into the sky and towards the Syndicate base. Their boards much faster than any at the Syndicate, it allows the attackers to strike first before the first guard can even sound an alarm.

Taking the gate, the Ventura group rushes inside where they are met with the first line of resistance. Weapons made after the last attack, energy guns, snipers, and some hand-held weapons, are just some of what they have but they are too slow to resist the swarming group they are faced against.

One by one, the people of the Syndicate are dropped by an electrifying attack from the weapons of Ventura, or sent flying by the terrifying force of one large man, Loki.

Loki is the only one from Ventura focusing on close quarter combat. He keeps his beloved bat on his back, but a new weapon has been made for him. Electrifying brass knuckles, a single punch enough to send someone flying from his strength and out cold by the after effects.

The Syndicate guards attack him but he raises an energy shield as more Ventura hoverboard riders storm the base by the openings he creates. Their base exposed and their defenses beaten, more and more of the Syndicate personnel choose to bunker inside their homes and buildings fitted with powerful defenses to survive against even bombs.

This is to Veronica’s plan.

Bell keeps his gun in hand as the noises of the battle outside begin to quiet down.

After a minute, a radio communication begins emitting from every casa, drone, or robot in the Syndicate.

Veronica begins. “Ahem, can everyone hear me? Good, we’ve taken over for the moment, but we won’t push anymore so long as you all remain nice and quiet. We’ve come for some simple things, please remain inside and safe.”

“That wench! Does she believe we’ll just stand down and take this?!”

“You speak with unwarranted confidence, Bell.”

Bell turns to the lab door, there stands Veronica aiming a strange weapon at him. She pulls the trigger, a pulse emitting from it that sends anything in its path flying backwards, including Bell who is launched back into the wall.

“Gah!” Bell coughs blood as he drops to the floor. “Veronica, what is the meaning of this?”

“Don’t get so mad, it’s just a job.” Veronica takes a chug of her bottle. “Ahh! You two! You’re coming with me.”

Elena and Liang hesitate, Elena speaking up first. “We have children.”

“Yes, yes. My people are already collecting them. They’ll meet you at the light train station.”

“Did Issac send you?”

“He did?”

“At what cost?”

“It’s best you discuss that with him.”

The two leave without another question, Veronica smiles at Bell who looks at his gun across the floor from him. Veronica shakes her head, hoping he isn’t foolish enough to make the effort.

“You know, it makes me sad to see you lose that idealistic foolishness in your eyes. I guess even you had to face reality eventually, though you chose a path I never expected.”

“Veronica, this will not go unanswered.”

Veronica laughs. “Bell, we’ve shown you what we can do, I recommend you just forget this happened. Don’t worry, we’ve done our best to use non-lethal force. You’re smart, so I know you’ll decide against killing each other off.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“You’re free to believe that. Goodbye, Bell, next time we meet, our deaths will soon follow.”

Bell rushes outside after recovering strength in his legs. As Veronica said, there are no fatalities, everyone on the ground is just unconscious. But the Syndicate has suffered another defeat.

“Bell!” Elizabeth rushes over. “Are you ok? Bell?”

“We’ve been fools, Elizabeth. If we wish to create our dream world, there is no line we must hesitate to cross. People, resources, animals, whatever you and Lars need, we will use it to lead them all, even if by force.”

Elizabeth smiles. “Of course, that is what we must do.”

“Quickly!” Artem and Zara help carry Nozomi and Matteo to beds inside the lab they’ve been using since coming to Ventura.

“Keep them stable, we only need 30 minutes.” Elena said.

Issac walks inside as his friends and wife rush around while preparing for the procedure. It will be his task alone. Before being pushed out of the Syndicate, Issac received all of Elena’s research to complete.

Finishing the research was simple enough, it will work. But the sacrifice is great, one he is unsure of whether or not he can do.

“Issac!”

“Hm?”

Elena presses her head against Issac’s. “We are out of time. I understand, I know you want to think of another way. But this is it for them. You must do it. I’m sorry. I asked you to save us so you went against your morals and created weapons for Veronica, and now I’m asking you to kill the person you love more than anything. But that is why I know you will do it.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t find another way.” Issac mutters.

“There is no need, I’ve made my choice. I will remain forever grateful to you, I love you.”

Liang and Elena sit in chairs with tubes connecting them to their children. Issac has made the process simple, almost like a blood transfusion. Once complete, the children will have the cell count as if two humans shared a single body, their strength will rise exponentially, and they will recover from their ailments.

“Mama?” Nozomi mutters as she looks at Liang.

“Everything will be ok, Nozomi. The others will care for you, always remember that I love you.”

“50%.” Issac mutters.

“Issac.” Elena calls him over. As he kneels in front of her, she picks his head as he attempts to hide his teary eyes. “I’m glad we found each other in this world. As a scientist I shouldn’t say this, but I know we will end up together in the next one as well.”

“I will find you; I promise.”

“We will do this side.” Zara said.

Artem and Zara say their goodbyes to Liang. As the process reaches completion, they must inject Liang with a killing agent before the consequences of the donor occur. Total bodily malfunction, expulsion of blood, terrible pain.

“Nozomi, live a wonderful life my dear.” Liang whispers her final words.

Issac rests his head on Elena’s lap, his tears never ending.

“Matteo?” Elena whispers.

Matteo looks their way, his first time waking since falling into a coma. “Mama?”

“How wonderful, you already look healthier. Mama loves you dear.” Elena smiles. Blood drips from her mouth, her body quivers as pain increases.

Issac raises the needle to her neck and injects her. He never looks up; Elena keeps a wide smile as the color in her eyes fade. Unable to control himself, Issac wails as Zara and Artem check on the children.

Matteo continues to look at Elena, she will not respond to his words. Issac inconsolable, on Matteo’s return, their world has been shattered.