The Source of Raijin Thunder

An electrifying net sprayed out from the end of the leader’s gun. It wrapped around the creator and tightened. Only his head was exposed.

He knew what this was—a paralysis net. It was meant to capture individuals through mild electrocution. To him, it didn’t really have any effect, but the net itself was hardy enough to withstand his weakened attempts of escape. She had him pinned down with nowhere to run.

“You did it,” he remarked. “What’ll you do now?”

“Pay up.”

“Sorry, I don’t reward bad behavior.”

“Pay up!” She pulled out yet another gun from inside her vest. “This one’s real. I won’t ask twice, nouveau. I don’t give a shit about what happens to you. Pay up if you still want a life. I can spend that kind of money better than you ever could.”

He looked the weapon over. “That gun can’t kill me.”

There was a loud bang and a flash of the muzzle. But as expected, the bullet didn’t pierce through.

“Like I said.”

She pulled out a little device and held it up for him to see—a data breach drive.

“I wouldn’t suggest that,” he replied. He already knew what she was up to. She was planning on extracting information from him through the connection port in his neck.

“And why’s that? Because you’ll lose your privacy to a lowly punk like me?” She cackled. “Should’ve surrendered sooner.” She hovered over his neck port, readying to plug the device in.

“I’m serious. You’ll die.”

He wasn’t bluffing. There were various anti-malware and protection software installed in his UI. Any form of viral or rogue programs were to be eradicated immediately. And if severe enough, his most destructive defense mechanism would activate—

Raijin Drums.

Available on a month to month basis, it was an exorbitant premium subscription module for those within the upper echelons of society. When activated, a satellite would shoot down an artificially generated bolt of lightning at the site of the user, executing all who were in the vicinity. Only the user—usually physically enhanced to resist electrical attacks—would survive.

But the leader ignored his words and proceeded. She positioned his neck so that the port was visible, held the device securely in her grasp, and started to plug it in. And the moment the device was fully locked in place—

A flash of light. Then a deafening boom. The earth shook like a million explosions. And within seconds…

It was over.

The creator pulled the damaged net off from his body. It tore away without much resistance. The air around him fizzled, and there was a quiet hissing noise in the background. Everywhere around him smelled of burnt plastic.

The rest of the Taipan Riders stood watching from the sidelines, speechless and unmoving. For a few solid seconds, no words were spoken. Not from him. Not from anyone in the vicinity. There wasn’t even a twitch.

He gazed over at the body of the leader, burnt and still as stone… She wasn’t breathing. Her heart had stopped. He already knew she was dead. The preliminary trials for Raijin Drums always resulted in a hundred percent mortality rate. And there were no exceptions to that rule.

“Let’s go,” the teen muttered to the crowd of disheveled, onlooking goons. “Taipan Riders out…”

The ones who could still walk scurried along with him. They never turned back, tired and intent on following their new leader. There was no remorse for the fallen. No tears wept for the dead.

Only Goliath remained—hunched, peering down at its now deceased owner.

“Sad?” the creator called out. He could see it in its eyes—deep, underlying sorrow. Truly heartfelt emotions not seen in the others.

The beast looked up. Water welled up in its eyes, pouring over like miniature tidal waves. It had knelt beside the deceased figure with one hand resting over her head.

How ironic. “Run along,” He motioned for the beast to go. Before the authorities arrived. “Take her with you.”

The beast looked up one last time. There was no malice behind those eyes. Only tears—wet and heavy tears that swamped the earth below. For once, it looked truly human. More than all the others who had already left. Then without warning, it caressed the body in its arms and jumped away into the bright, afternoon horizon.

The sun didn’t look too bright anymore. He was getting used to it now. After all, this was no different from Simular. Everyone was still fighting to survive. They were still struggling to fulfill their own purposes in life.

Purpose… There was meaning behind her actions. Deeper than he had initially perceived. She wasn’t just fighting to win. She was fighting to survive. To rule her own world through warmongering fear and deception. It was her own way of life that she had chosen to live by.

He would remember her, and he would keep this experience alive deep within his memories. She had fought for her victory with deadly determination, and in a way, kept her dignity all the way through to the end.

For once, he could respect that.