Hybrid: Project Vigil (2 page)

Night before action is always difficult. You can't sleep, adrenaline racing through your veins. You sweat thinking about what might happen. Your mind running through every possible scenario. You are trying to relax but you can't. He was going to be XO (second in command) today. Fourteen days out outside on stealth-recon mission on fresh air and with Gillian. And no guards looking all the time. Finally some privacy and freedom. They can try to breach the Fence. Looked like perfect two weeks. He read mission briefing on his computer hundreds of times tonight, so did everyone else.

5:00AM. Time to get up and running. Usually good and big breakfast preparing them for next ten hours of walking, running and digging in. Everyone was nervous, he could see that, even hear that from chatter around him. Then he slowly walked to the armory. There was a long table with equipment and two people in there. Armory master James, tough ex-SEAL in his forties repairing broken machine gun and subject Alpha checking weapons and supplies. When he entered James stood up: “You are early here Stump, preparation starts in two hours.” John had more interesting plans than waiting around: “I'm going to spend some time on the shooting range.” As he passed through doors to shooting range James followed him saying: “I must see this. Hey Alpha, you not coming?

John was the best marksman here it was reward for countless hours spend on shooting range. He enjoyed the challenge of hitting long distance targets. He picked up his favorite M39 EMR and enough ammo. When he was ready he pushed button to start. Targets popped up. No matter if they were close or far away, moving or behind cover he picked them one by one, one perfect head shot after another. With help of his brain implants and newly installed Aim assist, projecting trajectory of each shot, it was easy. After an hour he left shooting range with new accuracy record. James wrote this record on the blackboard in armory: “240 rounds fired, 240 head shots, don't screw with Sb. Beta.”

Time to prepare for mission. John took his body armor, checked pistol, mounted ACOG sight on his M4A1 and synched it to his system. Then M107 sniper rifle. He weighted 50.cal round in his hand when someone laid hand on his shoulder: “That's gonna hurt, hope you can see the bad guys.” Subject Alpha-Tom, John's second best friend in here. Tom always looked serious, but he liked jokes: “Hey listen up! Everyone here knows that...uh...you and Gillian have a thing, you know what I mean. If you two want some time alone just say it, we can finish it without you.” John noticed something in his face. Is Tom nervous? “Ask Gillian.” Tom's eyes filled with obvious desperation: “I already asked. She...agreed.” That small pause revealed him. John sighed: “You dirty little liar. You asked her, but she said no.” Tom lifted his hands in surrender: “Damn it! How can you know that just from my face? How can you know that she said no?” John smiled: “I know you long enough to know when you tell me lie and I know that Gillian would never accept something like this. And I can't ignore her standing right behind you.” Tom walked away with his hands still raised in surrender. Gillian's eyes looked tired: “Duty first, isn't it. I will never like these sleepless nights. How do you handle it?” Tom and few others were watching them. “I got used to it. I think about you. What if something happens to you? What if you die? Life here might be violence and more violence, violence anytime, in any form. You are everything I have, you are my light here. That keeps me alive.” She smiled: “That's nice of you. I hope you are ready. I wanted to mention that while you was entertaining James I stole some real ammo.” John wanted to hug her and then hug her again...but he had to control himself in front of others. On training missions they always used training rounds but she always managed to smuggle out some real ammo for them. Just for emergency situations or to have some fun. She was somehow reading his thoughts, maybe she could see it on his face: “You can hug me later when no one is looking.” Her smile was priceless. John was certain that he is melting inside.

When they were ready they assembled near the hangar door to wait for C-130 Hercules to pick them up. Doors finally opened, revealing open loading ramp of giant, dark colored plane with four turboprop engines. They loaded in silence. Twenty soldiers slowly walked into the plane. John stopped for a second to watch the sunrise.

Engines roared to life. During flight many of subjects prayed to their gods. John never prayed because there was no god he believed in. There was just Death everywhere. Instead of prayers he cleaned his rifle. It gave him power to take life. With it he could end this complicated game of nature. It was the greatest power he knew of. Some may say that he is ruthless. But he isn't, he is just trying to survive.

One of the pilots came down and shouted: “Two minutes!” Everyone stood up, made final check of his or her gear. Ramp opened revealing sky behind. Soldiers started to jump out, two at the time. John pressed radio button on his helmet:

“Overlord, this is Dragon 2-1. Angel fall complete. I repeat, all packages are on the ground, over.“ He heard uncommon static. Jammers? Frequency adjustment may be necessary. Command finally replied: “Copy that all 2-1. Proceed with mission.“ He took a running jump throu
gh open ramp. His parachute opened automatically.

Landing went well, he landed on a plain near ridge line where they had to set up observation post. When he managed to bury his parachute under the sand he started to look for Gillian. That was easy task because she landed only few hundred meters south of him. She was covered with asphalt: “I fell into a natural asphalt, quite mess. Don't ask how I crawled out.” John helped her clean her clothes. Then they moved towards ridge line to settle in.

“2-1 be advised, enemy patrol coming your way from north. Two hostiles and vehicle, confirmed heavy weapons. Recommend you to evade, over.“ John looked north and saw jeep heading south. He crouched and raised his left fist. Vehicle stopped, two men jumped out and started to observe their surroundings with binoculars. John fell prone: “Hit the deck!“ After hour John and Gillian still laid motionless. John started to slowly crawl towards two soldiers: ”Looks like these guys aren't going anywhere. I'll take them out, you will cover my six.“ John slowly and quietly drew his pistol and approached two enemies from back. Two quick shots with tazer round took down the first one. John grabbed other one's throat, threw him on the ground and finished him with a shot. “Yeah, now turn around boy and throw your weapon away!” That words echoed in his head like train, there was no one else. He threw pistol away and turned face to new threat.

He was looking right into barrel of pistol aiming between his eyes. But there was something strange, his HUD turned red: !Warning! That pistol had live ammo in it. Soldier pushed barrel up to John's forehead: “Now, you are going to die like the ones you killed before.“ HUD flickered rapidly: !Warning! Where the hell is
Gillian? She was supposed to cover me. First he spotted sun reflection on Gillian's scope then soldier's head exploded into a bloody ball and body fell headless. John was covered with remains of skull and brain. After he cleaned his face and clothes he went to check other weapons, all were armed with real ammo.

He sat into jeep and pushed comm button: “Regroup on my position.“ Then he turned button and pressed it again, this time speaking to entire Dragon group: “All units be advised, we have encountered enemy personnel with armed weapons. Recommend you to evade. Any sightings of hostile forces report to me. Loot enemy ammunition if you can. If you are in danger lethal force is authorized. Watch out for traps, mission objectives remain unchanged, just find other observation position they could be waiting for you. 2-1 out."

When he finished orders Gillian already stood in front of him: “I'm really sorry...my hands trembled so much. You think command has something to do with this?“ One of stunned soldiers moved, John stood over him: “I don't know, but I will ask them.” And pointed his pistol on two soldiers. They waited for them to wake up. First woke up after ten minutes, when he saw John and Gillian he tried to shoot them but his weapon released just empty 'click click'. John kicked him hard into belly: “Who gave you real guns? Why do you want to kill us?“ Soldier smiled: “I’m not going to tell you anything.“ John took step back: “Then...you
have no use to me.“ And shot the soldier, sending pieces of skull and brain flying around. Then he did the same to second one.

John examined load of jeep. Everything there was real and dangerous: FGM-148 Javelins, explosives, land mines. It looked like these guys were preparing for something big. Both Gillian and John agreed to setup explosives around jeep to slow down any other patrols or search parties. They hid dead bodies under the vehicle so no one can see them from above. By the time they finished that all it was nearly sunset, John reached his hand to help Gillian stand: “Let's go find someplace to rest. Somewhere safe...or at least safer than here. They walked in silence, they had to change direction many times to avoid being followed. Soon darkness covered their advance and they started to look for shelter.

_____________

Corporal Tarkovsky patrolled near ridge line, his task was to kill any hybrids coming around. Strange thing was that there was no one else, only him and pale rocks. Few hours ago he lost contact with two other patrols which meant he was the only one in this area. But entire day no hybrid came through. He was starting to tell himself: “This is weird man, really weird.” Something moved on edge of his vision, it looked like human. He ran after it after several minutes of search he found a girl trapped in a chasm, only way out was around him. He aimed, she turned around. “You should be two.” Tarkovsky asked carefully. Gillian replied in amusing tone: “Yes we should.” Corporals words were cut off as gloved hand covered his mouth and razor-sharp blade cut his throat spilling large amount of blood.

“His face was priceless.” Smiled Gillian: “They always follow me and then realize that I'm alone. This one is fifth in last two hours it's obvious that they were expecting us, shame we had to kill them.”

John cleaned his knife urgently, James used to say: "'Nothin' is worse that dirty blade Stump.” John couldn't remember why is James always calling him Stump. James had name for everyone for example he called Gillian Rose, maybe because she likes roses. While looking for shelter John talked to her: “You never liked all this war stuff did you? Nah, why am I asking I know you. You don't like it, I wish you could be somewhere else, with your family, painting, playing piano, meeting with friends.” Gillian couldn't resist smile: “And where do you wish to be?“ John raised his rifle: “Wherever humanity needs me to be.“ Before Gillian answered he spoke again: “I think I found a cave for us, hang on...Yeah it's okay.” They spent ten minutes setting up camp for next two weeks. Unfortunately they couldn’t risk open fire so they had to survive freezing dessert night only with help of sleeping bags. Rest of night was silent, they were too tired to talk, it was amazing that they managed to keep watch four hours each until morning...

John woke up in a nice cave with good view of valley. Night was quiet except from wind and animals. Reports from other teams were fine, just few hostiles.

"What do we have for breakfast?" Asked Gillian who just woke up. John was trying to open vacuum packed army meal, but his numb fingers were unable of doing so.

"Appears to be baked beans with tomato sauce, but it won't open. I can't even pull trigger right now.''

''Right now you don't need to shoot anything.'' Gillian sighed. Then she opened pack for him and grabbed his hands in warm grip: “Warm enough?”

Some kind of warrior instinct flashed through John's muscles. Some sort of memory from past, urge to free his hands from hers. He needed to focus his entire mind to ignore it.

“Yes, much better.” John was confused, nothing like this happened before. Maybe he has too much adrenaline in his blood. Their cave was small, just about half the size of their cell. Entrance was practically invisible from distance.

No matter what people think army meals are delicious, but fresh food will be always better.

John watched beautiful sunrise, soon Gillian joined him in front of cave entrance. She looked really serious, she always looked serious after waking up. She had nightmares every night. John knew it, even if she refused to tell him. He was watching her entire night, shivering, talking from sleep, calling his name. John decided to ask her about dreams later.

First light touched her unusually colored hair, reddish brown near roots with black ends. She had smooth, pale skin now partially covered with dust. Her eyes changed color rapidly, she could do that thanks to the cornea implant, sometimes it was very funny.

“I think it'll rain.“
Announced Gillian.

“I totally agree with your assumption.“ Reacted John. This short dialogue was absolutely irrelevant. Meteorological data projected on their retinal HUD so they both knew that there was a storm coming. This was used just to keep some
communication between them during long hours of doing nothing. They could see thick dark clouds slowly getting closer.

Light flashed in the clouds. First drop created small wet crater in desert dust. Wall of falling water soon convinced them to seek shelter in their cave. Rain tried everything to get inside but cave remained dry.
Accompanied by hum of rain they talked. Nothing unusual at all, but one question disturbed John's mind long years after this.

“What do you feel when you kill someone?“ Gillian often asked questions like this.

“Hard to say, I've never killed someone I know. But when I kill guard I feel...nothing, recoil maybe. You already killed few people, so why do you ask?” John wanted to maintain normal tone, but he sounded little annoyed.

Gillian turned her eyes away like into great distance. “I just wanted to know if I have same feelings like you. I hate myself for killing people. It's horrible thing, I don't understand how can you take it so easy. What they did to you John?
" Now she sounded angry.

John had no reasonable answers left.

”I don't know. Maybe I was turned into killing machine. But I think I can live normal life if they ever let us out. I wonder where they took us from.” He inhaled slowly, dry desert atmosphere mixed with storm water filled his lungs. “If we want to know who we are, we need to know who we were.“

They stayed silent for next eight hours. They even ate their lunch away from each other. I was weird, two young people, alone in the wild and not talking to each other. Storm wasn't about to end any soon. Before nightfall it was raining more than few hours ago, John declined idea to patrol outside. Water could damage his rifle or cause a mudslide. No one would be out in this rain not even those trying to kill them. John brought his sleeping bag closer to cave entrance to guard during night and to maintain some empty space between him and Gillian. Best way to calm her down was to leave her alone for some time.

It could take few minutes or several weeks, time depends on food served in mess hall.

Till midnight nothing outside moved, thermo vision was clear, no sounds except torrents of water rushing down the slope. Flashes of light from lightning created strange silhouettes and shadows of rocks. John himself looked like a rock motionless, silent, his gun prepared to unleash deadly wall of armor-piercing bullets. Hypothalamus implant could prevent falling asleep for few days and putting John into state of sleep with normal awareness.

Something moved inside the cave. Gillian was obviously shifting her position closer to John. Every moment she was closer and she was up to something because her movement was confident. Sneaky and careful but confident. She sat next to him and slowly leaned against him.

"You should know I'm not mad at you,” Gillian began: “But sometimes you look like you are collapsing into yourself, fading in front of me.

John had to admit his mind often drifted away from reality, from blood and violence.

“I'll stay with you, whatever happens I'll be there."

“I know you will, don't worry about me I won't disappear in my mind, you always remind me to stay.”

Her hand slowly moved to his right palm.

“You want to link our Systems, don't you? Asked John calmly already knowing the answer.

“Yes, I want. I will worry about you less.

“You are aware of what
Caroline said about it.“

“Yes, we shouldn't try it because it wasn't planned feature of System and it may be dangerous and no one is absolutely sure about what it might do to us.”

“You forgot to say that guy who created this system feature went mad afterwards.“ Added John swiftly.

“Are you afraid John?“

“No, just making sure you're aware of everything.”

“I don't care what happens, I just want to do it.”

“Then let's do it.”

Their hands moved closer and closer. A moment before they touched a blue spark of light jumped between them. Then they were flushed into moving world of colors, numbers and shapes, project scientists called this The Hybrid Sub-reality. It served as System base. Hybrids could access it easily, scientists needed tons of hardware to get in. Process window appeared:

>Uplink status: Established

>Connection: Subject.Omega-Gillian #7530#

>Synchronizing...

>Synched...proceeding...

>Core progra
mming: Adjusted

>Memory: Balanced

>Link: Connected

>Testing...100%

>Systems linked...0 Errors detected

>Required actions: 1

>Proceeding...

>Data transfer: Commencing

>/

Series of pictures, movies, feelings and sounds played in John's head. It took him few moments before he realized he's watching Gillian's memories. And she probably watched his. He saw their first conversation, their first mission together. John could see what she saw, feel what she felt. They fell asleep, that sometimes happened after entering into

Sub-reality. And so they slept not knowing what will happen next day...

________________

John woke up hearing gun fire. Tom's voice sounded over radio,

“We're under attack!!”

Gillian slowly opened her eyes.

“What's going on?”

“They are here,“ said John “Ready to show them no mercy?”

She hasn't said anything, just took her gun, armed it and crawled out of the cave.

John pressed the comm button: “Every armed squad put suppressing fire on those hostiles attacking Dragon 1-1. Everyone else withdraw to extraction point and call for evac.“

“John there are...“

loud “thud“ interrupted Tom's words. John knew what that means.

He jumped out of cave and looked through sniper rifle scope.

“Tom is hit!“

Meanwhile Gillian fired bullet after bullet.

“Get him out of there we will cover you.“

John found his target. He held breath, aimed and slowly pulled the trigger. Soldier's head exploded, his comrade next to him had only few seconds before Death claimed him too.

Suddenly a column of white smoke shot to the sky. John turned his rifle to trucks on the road 1,5 miles away. There were enemies preparing to fire another Javelin missile.

First missile arched through air aiming for Dragon 1-1.

When it hit the ground it sent large chunks of rock flying. John checked Tactical Status Display on his HUD, Dragon 1-1 was marked as Lost.

“They are dead.” He told Gillian, but somehow he said it through their connection.

“What are we going to do?” Her question hung in the air.

“Tell everyone to run.”

John tried to contact others but there was nothing but static. Soldiers near trucks prepared another Javelin missile. Wild idea crossed John's mind. He put his hand on Gillian's arm.

“Go, find others and go to extraction point.”

“What do you want to do?“

“Buy you some time.“

“How you want to do that?!“ She insisted.

“Just go!”

Gillian started to move away from John. John pulled assault rifle closer to him. He breathed fast and hard, rivers of sweat poured down his face, his heart raced. It was closer and closer, the final second, moment of death, sacrifice, call it however you want. Then he stood up and pulled trigger. Goal wasn't to hit soldiers or trucks, they were out of range. He just wanted to attract their attention. Several soldiers pointed his direction. Then he noticed something horrible. Gillian was still standing there and watching him. There was no time to talk, missile was already in the air aiming for them
. John grabbed her waist turned around and threw her as far as he could. Before he released her, John whispered in her ear.

“I'm sorry.”

John could feel pain through their connection, but he knew she is okay. Missile arched. He took a deep breath, pulled out his pistol. Another breath. John waited for missile to get closer, aimed and then tried his luck and fired. It exploded less than
20 feet away from him. Flames engulfed him, his body hit the ground then everything went dark.

___________________

Meanwhile back at base...

Doctor Caroline Blac
kburn sat behind her table enjoying glass of wine. There was no particular reason to celebrate, she just wanted to drink that wine she bought herself for birthday five years ago, last time she was out. Since then project proceeded so fast she couldn't. When she was about to pour fifth glass someone knocked at the door.

“It's open.” She yelled.

Young lab assistant Harper stepped inside.

“My apologies doctor
Blackburn, I don't want to interrupt, General Briggs wishes to talk to you.” He said. Caroline put wine bottle back to bottom drawer.

“Damn general, I want to drink my wine right now. Instead I'll end up talking about
government's expectations for next year. Harper! Have you brought those boxes from storage?“

“Of course doctor. May I ask you something?“

Caroline was putting her lab coat on. “Ask away!“

“How much have you drank doctor?“

“Not enough Harper, not enough.“

She pushed him away from door and made her way to general's office, leaving Harper standing there confused. Caroline had to admit, she drank more than she should. It wasn't even evening.

Caroline stormed through general's door.

“You wanted to see me?“

General lifted his sight from computer screen.

“We've got a...doctor are you drunk?

“I consumed large
amount of alcohol but I don't consider myself drunk.”

“I'm serious doctor. I appears that few our squads went rogue and attacked test subjects.”

Caroline's mind examined that sentence very carefully.

“You mean YOUR men are killing MY work?!“

General sighed.

“We have two K.I.A. and one M.I.A.”

“In English general, please.“ Caroline demanded.

“Two subjects are dead and one may be alive.“

Caroline was now sure he is serious.

“Which subjects?“ She asked fearing the worst.

“Alpha and Delta are dead, John may be alive. They were hit with Javelin missile.“

Caroline fell to nearby chair. Even if John was alive he would be
crippled.