Encounter

I had never seen so many dejected faces. Losing one comrade was devastating enough, but that paled in comparison to the slaughter we all just witnessed. As I glanced around the locker room at my sitting comrades, all I saw were the tops of heads. Who was feeling defeated, who was shedding tears, I wasn’t sure, but the floor was the only place worth looking at.

We had removed our helmets but still wore our hazard suits. There was no energy in the room, not even enough to change clothes. How many people just died in there? 20? 25? It took everything Amber and I had just to injure one mutant, and my leg paid the price.

It was Diamond who first broke the somber silence. “I wish I knew exactly what to say, but I don’t.” Her voice was powerless, a far cry from the cool confidence she typically exuded. “We lost a lot of good men and women today. While we will all take time to mourn, we must remember the sacrifice they made will not go in vain. We will save humanity, and they made the ultimate sacrifice to push us closer to that goal.”

While her words were valiant, the delivery was anything but. Still, it took courage to speak at a time like this, even if she didn’t believe her own words. I could not do what she did, that’s for sure.

“Diamond is right.” Sapphire, her face bloodied, was next to speak. “As the leader of Squad Theta, it is my duty to make sure the lives of those who journeyed alongside me have meaning.”

There was no official headcount yet. The shellshock was still a long way from wearing off. I have a feeling Garnet and Sapphire did not want to acknowledge the reality yet either. I watched as Diamond paced around the room, consoling those still in the locker room. She truly was a leader.

Even so, the wounds were still fresh. Both mental and physical. Now, all we had to do was sit around and wait for the official field report.

The briefing room was just as dead as the locker room. Iris stood at the center of the room, flipping through the pages of the field reports. Her face betrayed her feelings as she skimmed the pages. Everyone in the room prepared for the worst.

“This is the field report for the joint operation conducted today, June 14th, 2566, by Squad Delta and Squad Theta,” Iris began. “Net return of 575 kilograms of raw materials out of a maximum of 3000 kilograms.”

Those numbers were pathetic. For two whole squads to net only 575 kilograms was a wasted effort. We really went out there for nothing. Iris flipped to one of the back pages of the report.

“Now, for casualty numbers. 60 Scavengers were dispatched for this joint effort. In total, 28 were lost. 12 from Squad Delta, and 16 from Squad Theta. A mourning and funeral will be held for those who gave their lives at the end of the week. I know there is a lot for you all to take in right now, so I will cut this debrief short. Dismissed.”

Iris waited for no questions and exited the room. 28 total casualties? Over half of Squad Theta was wiped out. With 24 squads in the Scavenger unit at 30 members each, losing 28 people in one expedition was devastating. Something needed to change. But what, and how?

The atmosphere in the second district was heartbreaking. Located near the base of the Cube, the second district was typically used for waste expulsion or the removal of other large materials. For the second time in my lifetime, it was being repurposed, for a mass funeral. Seeing all those around me, wearing all black to mourn the dead, brought back memories of years past. Crying wives, husbands, children, and friends, saying goodbye to loved ones who gave their lives to the cause. There was nothing more disheartening than moments like this.

The send off was somber, in a way words could not describe. There was a guilt, a burden on my shoulders, for surviving the expedition, while countless others perished. For days on end, all in the Cube were in a state of mourning. 

“Cutting consistent movement power?” Micah‘s disbelief was apparent. “We’re just a sitting hunk of scrap metal then!”

While the Cube was a feat of technological innovation, at the end of the day, it was still a giant cube of scrap metal. Cubes were built to move across the Earth’s terrain to avoid drawing the attention of mutants. The abandoned Cube made the logic behind that decision readily apparent. Sit still for too long, and mutants will find you. If numerous large mutants were to attack a Cube, they could eventually bring it down. The Scavenger unit was trained to fight, and there were reserve soldiers among the remaining population, but in a drawn out conflict there would only be one winner. As the failed excursion to the abandoned Cube proved, even with training, humans stood little to no chance against mutants. It was only a matter of when, not if, they would take you out. Without full movement capability, we were sitting ducks in periods of immobility.

Jet was the unfortunate soul tasked with delivering the bad news to the Scavenger unit headquarters. I guess being the son of our Cube’s leader wasn’t always rainbows and sunshine.

“We understand your concern,” Jet said calmly, trying to ease tensions. “But you must understand, we are low on power and resources, and preserving the life critical functionality of the Cube comes first.”

Micah slumped back in his chair. Even though he was an emotional man, he still understood basic logic. Filtering the air, controlling the climate, and harvesting food all took priority over movement. Movement capabilities meant nothing to us if we couldn’t breathe.

“If any of you have any suggestions on a path forward, please let me know.” Jet’s diplomatic statement was sincere. I knew Jet. Deep down, he wanted to help others the best he could. “The Scavenger unit is one of our lifelines, I will certainly bring any recommendations you have directly to the governor.”

The wail of emergency sirens echoed off the walls of the Cube. The sound made the hair on the back of my neck stand. Thirteen years since I last heard that cursed sound. It meant only one thing, the Dwellers were back.

I ran amongst the crowd of Scavengers and police towards the briefing room. Civilians made their way towards the residential zone as shopkeepers shut their windows and doors. The Cube, typically bustling with life, quickly went dormant.

I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. Amber, who arrived outside the briefing room shortly after me, placed her hand on my shoulder and showed me a concerned smile.

“Ray, are you okay?”

I had known Amber since childhood. She knew my past. She knew why her family took me in, adopted me as one of their own. She knew what the sirens meant to me, and knew of my mission to avenge my family.

“I’m fine.” I was locked in. For all I knew, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, the whole reason I joined the Scavenger unit.”

We shuffled into the briefing room. Scavengers already packed the seating area like sardines. All that remained was standing room. Shoulder to shoulder, Amber and I just squeezed inside the doorway.

The Director stood front and center and didn’t bother activating the holographic display.

“Scavengers! Time is of the essence. Squad Epsilon was following up on a radar detected rich deposit of Dilithium and stumbled upon a Dweller settlement! They are engaged in an active firefight! Squads Gamma, Lambda, and Omega, you are being deployed to support the fight now! Geolocation data will be distributed to squad leaders! Go, now! Remaining squads, you are now on standby until further notice! If the moment needs it, you will be called upon to enter the fray! Everyone, dismissed!”

Without taking questions the director stormed out of the briefing room.

Squads Gamma, Lambda, and Omega? What about Squad Delta? What about me?

I turned to face Amber as everyone began pouring out of the room. “Did she say Delta?”

“No, we’re on standby.”

Standby? This was my chance to take action and I was being put on standby?

“I’m sorry, Ray. I know this is frustrating…”

Amber’s concern was palpable. She always could read my emotions like a book. For the first time in 13 years, the fight between humanity and the Dwellers was back, and all we could do was sit and watch.