Chapter 1: The Small Price

“Mike, are you there yet?” Jorm’s voice screamed into my ear.
“I am now in position.” I replied, my cold metal back pressed against a boulder which was covering my position from enemies eyes, I wished I could say what the temperature of the boulder was, but those days ended once the first biological war began, now the oxygen was poison.
“Do you see Jacobs?” Jorm’s voice broke my concentration on the condition of my arm, which had been shot while I was on my way to the building I was at now. I guess that is one good thing that came from the war. We needed armor everywhere, to keep our skin from burning.
“No, not yet. Wait doesn’t Jacobs give off a special tracking now?” I asked Jorm
“I know, but I was hoping that I made a mistake with the chip.” I just laughed.
“Mistake huh… no way, if there’s one person in this world who wouldn’t make a mistake, it would be you…” I was going to continue but Jorm interrupted me between words.
“Is that him?” He called, luckily he installed a live video feed into my helmet so we both saw the same thing.
“I think so.” I replied, I lowered my body to the ground and pulled my sniper rifle and attached it.
“I’m taking the shot now.” I took a connection cord from the scope of my rifle and placed it in the back of my helmet, another helpful enhancement courtesy of Jorm
“Wait!” Jorm called out, I immediately stopped, a man walked out and in front of Jacobs, I lost my shot.
“Shit.” I said under my breath.
“Keep an eye out, you might gain your shot back,” Jorm tried convincing me, “So, did you completely recognize him?” I just shook my head.
“Nope. The last time I saw that genetically enhanced son of a bitch, he was moving around me and attacking me to fast for me to see him, also I was trying not to die and get that stupid tracking chip attached to him.” I know I shouldn’t have snapped at him, he was only making sure, but after what I had been through it was hard to keep calm about it.
“I know, it’s just that you’ve been the closest to him and lived to tell the tale.” As I looked at the man something strange happened, he took off his helmet.
“Jorm! Do you see…”
“Yeah… what the hell is he doing?”
“He should be dead by now!” I yelled, the poison in the air should have eaten away at his skin and burnt through his brain, but it didn’t. Then he turned his head.
“Jorm, can you do a background check?”
“I’m on it.” The man turned around and both entered the building.
“Damn it.” I sighed as I lowered my head.
“Nothing so far. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.” I looked around, I counted nine guards. I plugged the cord from my scope to my helmet.
“Mike? Michael? Are you there? What are you doing?” I slowed my breathing, I held my breath. I saw a guard going over a hill, I took the shot. He went down without a noise.
“MIKE WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!” Jorm yelled, but by this point I got faster and took down three more guards, only five more. I reloaded. A guard noticed one of the bodies. He called over a companion. They both looked at the bodies… I tried talking the guilt out of my conscious.
There just dogs, pointless, worthless, dogs. They are doing evil things because there master tells them too, if I don’t do this, they’ll do it to me. The two guards that were looking at the bodies were side by side, I figured I could get them with one shot. So I took it, I only hit one, I quickly shot again and hit the second guy, by the time I had reloaded the three other guards had realized there co-workers were dead. They were about to shout… but they made one mistake… they were all standing shoulder to shoulder, it was too easy, I got them all with one bullet left to spare in the clip. My mind stopped focusing so hard and I slowed my heart down, I started to lose my animal rage that had taken the lives of the nine guards, I started to hear Jorm’s voice fade in from the sound of the wind mixed with my heart beat.
“Mike! Answer me god damn it!” Jorm was yelling, He’s been my best friend since college, and it’s great working with him, but he worries too much. If he looks at the screen he would see I’m still alive, there should be no need to worry.
“When I say R 3 be quiet.” I said as I got up and got ready to run down the hill.
“You can’t just go in alone!” Jorm yelled
“Well,” I started in my very annoying, even to me, know it all voice. “I’ve killed all the guards… I can leave now and be safe and Jacobs will find out someone, either an enemy or us is after him and then there goes 2 months of tracking, or you can let me go and get him and I can end this now.”
“If you go in alone now he will kill you like he almost did last time, and there’s that guy with him who is immune to the poison in the air, we don’t know how dangerous he is!” I didn’t say anything, he was right, “But… I am just wasting my breath, you go do what you know is right.”
“Thanks Jorm.” I walked to the side of the cliff, it was deep, I couldn’t run down it, it was impossible, I would lose balance and fall, I had to slide down it, so I took a big leap, I was air borne for a good minute before my legs collided with the cliff, I could feel the impact. I slide my way down, when I got to the bottom I ran as fast as I could to the door, when I got to the door I heard footsteps, they were to close, I heard…only three guards, but they were big. I looked up at the top of the metal door frame, there was a sign sticking out of the wall, I could stand on it, I ran up and grabbed the sign, it didn’t budge. I heard the doors open, the guards were about 6, 11 and looked very, very strong, but the first thing I noticed was that they couldn’t be human. There faces were scaly and there eyes like cats. Another mutation thanks to Mr. Jacobs…or that strange man that had accompanied Jacobs into the building. Either way, the creatures were big, scary and not wearing helmets. I jumped into the air as the last one walked out, I twisted in the air and landed on the first guard, he fell with me, quickly I put my hands on either side of his head and snapped his neck. I looked up to see the other guards turn around and started to run at me. I looked around the guards belt, a combat knife. I grabbed it, then ran at the guards, I jumped to the side and rolled grabbed onto the second guards leg and swung myself around to the other side of him, I stuck my foot out and dug my heel into the ground, the force of my momentum sent me to my feet, I crouched as I went up. When I was half way up I jumped and jabbed the knife into the guards neck and sliced. I landed on my feet quickly and grabbed the gun on his belt in once swift movement. I was so fast by the time I had done this the third final guard had all but just turned around. I easily raised the gun and shot him square in the face. The last monstrosity fell and I ran into the building as I turned a corner I saw two more guards, humans, and with full armor including the helmet. They pull out guns and shoot, they must have been new because they missed me. I took out a hand pistol, my own this time, and shot them in the visor, they both fell leaving blood streaks on the wall. I then ran through the doors they were guarding and I was at a top level, there was a huge opening in the floor in front of me, I jumped into it and fell through a locked metal trap door. I landed right in a ring of guards.
I assume the man that talked to me was the head of security.
“Don’t move!” he held out a shot gun. I looked around there were at least ten others. One more guard talked
“I saw him take out our three new prototype soldiers that Dr. Stinley created within a minute sir.”
Dr. Stinley…I need to remember that name! I thought to myself still taking in my surroundings
“Uhh, well you got any fancy moves to get you out of this?” the head of security said to me. Luckily I had a plan by this point.
“Sir… I don’t want to be cliché and say just one…when in fact…” I didn’t finish my sentence, life wasn’t like a movie, the next words I would have said would have been ‘I have glerb, glerb, glerb.’ And that would have been the noise of me bleeding from the mouth. I turned to a power source that was connected to computers, anything that small giving power to these massive machines had to be full of dangerous explosive materials, I took my shot, and dropped to the floor and covered my head. The explosion killed five guards, the metal shards from the desk, tables and chairs killed three people. There were still two more still alive, I stood up and shot them, both me and them were trying to clear our heads of the loud explosion, so it took awhile for them to draw there guns and for me to shoot. When I did I grabbed my head and shook the shock off. Then I ran I it was a few straight hallways, no one was there. Then a big door appeared in front of me. I ran in.
“Shit!” said Jacobs, I ran up to him and hit him with my gun, he fell to the ground.
“I finally have you Jacobs, maybe you should have had some better fighters protecting you. Especially if you knew I would be coming.” I smirked at him and grabbed him but he screamed… something was wrong.
“SHIT! No! No you don’t understand! My name is Sands, Josh, Sands. I’m here as Mr. Jacobs impersonator, he speaks through me via wireless device. All your doing is informing him that your on to him.” I picked the kid up, how had I mistaken him for Jacobs? Just another flaw to these god damn suits.
“And what about Mr. Stinley. As I saw it you were having a good conversation with him.”
“I didn’t even know his name I swear! He just came gave me the password and told me he needed to talk to Mr. Jacobs. I sent him here to the control room and he just got out a few minutes ago.” I sighed, I was so close.
“Ok, well I gotta take you in for questioning Josh.”
“Wha… what about my r-ri-right?” I could tell the kid was nervous, I figured I’d humor him, I just made one mistake, I loosened my grip.
“Ok, you have the right to…” He got away from me and grabbed a red oval pistol and shot me, it was a quick short beam that made my suit lose power for a second and my body to collapse.
“GAH! SHIT!” it took all my strength not to black out.
“Electric beam gun. Comes in handy doesn’t it?” Josh laughed
“Not…handy…enough.” I got up and walked towards him he looked both ways, there was no where to run, he was trapped.
“God, no, no.” Josh stammered
“Calm down Josh, it’s ok, there’s only one thing you can do by this point.” I tried calming him down by saying this, due to the expression in his face, it didn’t work.
“Yeah,” he said after taking in a deep breath. “Only one thing left.” He looked up, there was a crack in the ceiling, where a beam of light streaked in. I knew what he was going to do.
“JOSH NO!” I made a motion to go and run towards him, to get him to stop, but he placed both hands on his helmet.
“You don’t und-understand.” Josh’s voice was full of sorrow, he was crying perversely and hysterically. “When he finds out what I’ve already told you… I will pray for death,” he turned to a surveillance camera in the corner of the room. “I’m sorry!” Then he turned to me, “Goodbye, good luck, take down that son of a bitch.” Then he tore off his helmet, immediately the poison took it’s toll on his scalp, his hair fell out and his head started bubbling and releasing gasses. I closed my eyes and turned my head.
“I’m sorry. I will kill Jacobs, I promise.” But then I heard a scratchy breathless voice call out to me in a high pitch squeal
“No, not… Jacobs…” I looked, the damage was done. The top of his skull was burned, emptied, and dried up. His eyes were the size of raisins, his mouth had sealed on itself, and his head was now leaning against the wall.
“God damn, it.” I ran to the door, it slid open, I heard something behind me, I turned around, it was Josh, his head had fallen off his body. I started coughing more violently now, I closed the door and looked at the purification sign, it was till on danger, after a few seconds it changed to purified, I tore off my helmet and threw up in a corner. I coughed even harder. I ran out of the building, I saw that all the vehicles that had been parked were now gone, the building had been evacuated. I then heard Jorm’s voice.
“Michael? What the fuck happened to you?” I tried to control my voice.
“God… Jorm… Uh… It wasn’t Jacobs. It was a eighteen maybe twenty year old boy named Josh Sands, he tore off his helmet and killed himself using the poison in the air… shit, get me home Jorm…”
“Ok Mike… a helicopter is on its way. I’ll send you the co-ordinates.” I followed the virtual compass that was programmed to point me in the direction of the pick up zone. There were some guys in the helicopter with me.
“Hey.” He shouted over to me
“Hey.” I shouted back not knowing what to say.
“Are you Michael Scorn?” He shouted back, he was a new guy, I was told to all the new guys as the head of the service. I was the only one willing to stand up to Stanley, our boss.
“Yup, that’s me.” I shouted.
“Cool!” He shouted then he just turned his head and looked out the helicopter. I guess I passed out because next thing I knew we were landing at Head Quarters. I walked up the stairs and got to the fourth floor, Stan Hobs was right there at his office arms crossed and looking just as pissed off as always…but then he saw me.
“MICHAEL! GET IN HERE NOW!” I have never seen him this pissed off before, I contemplated acting like a good agent… but that just wasn’t me. I walked in and sat down besides Jorm, he was already giving me a look.
“Michael what the fuck were you thinking!?” I didn’t answer he was just about to tell me. “You ran at the enemy, and risked everything we’ve worked for! We’ve been working on the location for months!” I was about to explode at Stan, this wasn’t the time.
“Mr. Hobs, he was in pursuit of a known criminal and he did what was he believed was right to get Jacobs into custody.” Jorm did a good job calming Stan down… too bad I wasn’t calm.
“You can’t blame me for this Stan! I would have shot Sands either way and Jacobs would still have been alerted just like he is now! Besides you told me no matter what shoot, if I had listened to you we would be right back here!” I felt cool although I was extremely upset, it was not having the suit on probably, the Air cooling system had broken on my way to the building Josh was in.
“You shouldn’t have ran in there shooting up the place!” yelled Stan, I just relaxed and put my hands behind my head.
“Last time I checked, I also used hand to hand combat, and used a knife.” Stan just got pissed as usual.
“Michael you have to follow fucking orders!”
“Shut the hell up Stan. I just made a huge break through in the case and…” Stan leaned on his desk and looked at me.
“You’re fired Mr. Scorn.” I just looked at him, he actually said it.
“Mr. Hobs, he’s the best we got.” Jorm said, as he stood up quickly.
“Feel free to join him Jorm.” Stan said. He seemed to have cooled down. Jorm just looked at me, I was completely indifferent. Then he turned to Stan.
“Fuck you.” And he walked out. I got up to join him, Jorm waited at the door way.
“I want you to return all your equipment you two.” Said Stan from his desk.
“I used my material, and put my time into making it by myself, both Mike’s suit and my computer system are mine.” We turned around and handed in our badges. We walked down stairs into the outdoors.
“Shit.” Said Jorm, putting his helmet in his hands.
“It’s ok, I’m sure we can find another job.” I patted his back.
“Yeah, I know… what ever, you want to head to my house?” Jorm asked.
“Uhh sorry I have to go to Vanessa’s, we made plans… I hope she doesn’t get pissed about this.
“Ok, well if you need anything I’ll meet you at my house.” He hoped on his PMV, a four wheeled vehicle that was the size of a small bed, and drove off. I jumped on mine and started driving. I called Vanessa.
“Hello?”
“Hey, it’s Mike. How are you?” I asked trying to give her the information of my termination as soon as possible.
“Mike…Hey… I’m good… you?” I knew she was shocked… I should’ve been at work.
“Umm, I’ve been better. I got fired.”
“Ohh I’m so, sorry. Are you ok?” I could hear the disappointment in her voice no matter how hard she tried to cover it.
“Ya, I’m fine, I’m going to finish this mission with Jorm.” I told her as I listened to her voice trying to see if she was ok with it.
“Ok, you do that, but not tonight, you have to take me down first.” She giggled,
“Ok, I’m approaching Dead Man’s Cliff now.” She went silent.
“But… you hate that root… it kills you a little bit every time. I’ll let you go, bye, love you.”
“Bye, love you too.” Then I hung up. Not even three seconds later I heard rapid beeping go off.
“Hello?” I asked.
“Hey, you have your head piece in, good.” It was Jorm.
“Yeah… what’s up?” I asked, a little confused at why he was calling me.
“I did some more research on Dr. Stinley. He wasn’t in the data base because according to the data base, he’s dead.” I paused to take in this information.
“But, he clearly isn’t, I’m assuming you have more information?”
“Yeah, turns out he was registered in the St. Rose Institute for the clinically insane, Mike… he was being treated when the St. Rose explosion when off.” In the corner of my eye I saw some man drop a mechanical device in a dark alley way. Jorm cut out immediately.
“Jorm? Jorm? Shit.” I jumped off my PMV and headed towards the direction the device had been dropped.
“Hello?” I yelled, all I heard was an uncontrollable laugh. I figured it’d be best if I just got back and drove away. I got back in my PMV and started to drive, I was directly besides Dead Man’s Cliff now. Then I saw a man run out from the shadows, he had a remote. All he did was laugh. My eyes widened in terror.
“Dr. Stinley?!” He pressed the button on the remote. Then there was a large explosion. I was flung off the side of the road and was plummeting down Dead Man’s Cliff. I screamed and screamed, I then hit a small ledge… I barely remember anything after that. Just random clips. But then I hit the ground and I blacked out. I opened my eyes and saw two pairs of feet.
“Vital signs are going fast Jacobs.” Dr. Stinley started laughing hysterically again
“Good, leave him here for a few hours, he will be announced dead by a fluke accident.”
“Yes sir…Hee, hee, hee.” Then everything went black, I saw Vanessa and Jorm flash before my eyes, they were fading fast. Then I felt cold, my eyes closed, I heard my heart going slower, and slower. I was dead.