The Day They Found Me (Part 3)

"Skrat," I kept hearing a woman's voice say. 

Somebody was pushing me repeatedly, I felt the constant tugs against my body but I couldn't see anything. I didn't want to see anything. I just wanted to sleep. It felt so good to be back home in bed getting some good rest after a hard day's work.

"Skrat!" the voice said again, this time sounding worried.

I opened my eyes, or at least at the time I thought I did, and one of the world's most beautiful women were standing in front of me. 

Just a few more minutes, I was telling her, don't worry, I'll get the garage cleaned out today.

Suddenly it felt like my head was underwater. This time I really did open my eyes and come to my senses. I was underwater. I quickly regained control of my body and tried to surface but someone was already pulling me up. Standing in front of me was not the memory I was having from long ago, but a lady in a heavy suit of armor with a rocket launcher strapped to her back. It was Croms. I gave her neither a cold look or a happy one. There were definitely better ways to wake an unconscious person, but I figured what she did was the most effective route. 

"Decided to join the living I see," Crandallpolk said from behind me.

"Not by choice," I said, wiping the water from my face.

"Come, let's not stay any longer than we have to. The Bane will be most sad when they discover their Kael Chief is no more."

The boy's words were true, I reached down to the ground and retrieved my rifle, only to find it bent at nearly a ninety degree angle.  I cursed silently to myself and tossed it back into the water. Giggling, Croms handed me an AFS laser pistol she had looted from a Thrax soldier who had probably done the same with one of our soldiers. I took the pistol gratefully and searched the several corpses for the proper rounds. Power cells were plentiful among the Bane, it was their standard issue firepower. 

Crandallpolk was quick as always to take up the lead and keep us on the right track. Not that any of us actually wanted to be led into such a grim battle. When we reached the end of the Velon Hollow cave we were quick to realize that the hard part was just about to begin. We were only halfway across the bridge going into the Forean's sacred ground before we were attacked by a large group of tormented souls. The lifeless Forean bodies crept towards us like zombies from a cheap science fiction movie, guns blazing. You could see it on their faces, they wanted to die. No longer able to control their own bodies but still able to see through their own eyes the death and destruction they were forced to unleash. We granted them that one last wish, we had no other choice. I felt the power of the Logos surging through my arm as I grabbed a fistful of micromech. I threw it down onto the ground and instantly a small group of miniature turrets were constructed. 

Croms let a rocket fly, Crandallpolk dived into the fray while the turrets tore through the Forean bodies. I did what I could with the pistol I was given. I needed to do more, there was a group of more Foreans and Thrax headed our way. Another pile of micromech enchanted by the Logos hit the floor and up rose three crab mines. Walking bombs capable of an explosion causing more destruction than a claymore. The little guys hopped away towards the oncoming group. I didn't see it, but I heard the series of explosion once they were set off and the dying screams that followed. The massive stone bridge was clear now. 

Deeper into the sacred ruins there stood one of the Forean Elders, looking off distantly into...nothing.

Crandallpolk approached the Forean, asking what he was doing in such a place. The elder turned to face him and began to spew random words of nonsense. Perhaps I'm too rash, but if he could have spoken the words he wanted, I'm sure they would have been kill me and set me free.

The Elder's body began to twitch violently. We all knew what was happening. The genetic virus was taking over, he was already gone. A large group of mutated Foreans suddenly surrounded us. Crandallpolk used his own Logos power to protect us with a shield before he jumped towards the oncoming groups. Croms dropped to one knee and performed her duties. I was shocked at first to see how quick she was to fire that rocket, but it didn't take long for me to realize why. She did it that way so she couldn't see the faces of the smaller mutated bodies that were once children. 

I had my own target, the Elder. Elders often have their Logos power as well, and I wasn't about to wait and see if a mutated Elder could perform the same abilities. I dove forward, causing him to tumble backwards. I rammed my pistol into his sides and pulled the trigger several times. I could feel the insides leaking out onto my hands, but he was still moving, still struggling to get back to his feet. His hand pressed against my chest and I saw the blue aura from the Logos surging through his arm. The blast of lightning that came from the palm of his hand sent me tumbling backwards. Crandallpolk was already on the scene taking care of the greater threat. His staff beat against the Elder's skull several times before the monster finally fell. I deployed a set of turrets and let them finish the job. The corpses stacked high, higher than anyone of us wanted to see. Crandallpolk came over to me and offered a helping hand to get me back on my feet. Croms stood silent, clenching her fist in anger, both at herself and at the Bane for their terrible deeds. 

"Let us finish this," Crandallpolk said, having already figured out that I was one to keep my feelings on the inside, hidden from all. 

Or at least I thought they were hidden, he knew I was struggling just as much as they were.

We found the source nearby. Four chemical towers and some type of conversion machine. Each of us set our own explosives on the twisted devices, eager to detonate them the first chance we got. We stood back, looking over the battle field that was littered with innocent corpses, ready to watch the vile things blow.

"If we make it out of this cave alive," Crandallpolk said, putting an arm on my shoulder the same way he did when he first found me, "how would you like to join the ranks of Zero Wing?"

I looked at him honestly in the face, my answer not so easy to read. He tried to wait patiently for my answer, but I could tell that just one more minute of silence would probably make him go crazy. I knew who they were now, the name was clearer than ever. Zero Wing, a battle cruiser beyond your imagination. His group was no doubt the survivors from that day. It was ironic to be found them, little did they know how I was connected to Zero Wing before they ever set foot inside of it. That's a story for another day, today all I will give him is an answer.

"I'm in," I said plainly, my voice neither showing a great amount of excitement or disappointment. The small grin on my face, however, did tell him that I was happy to be part of them.

"Then let us celebrate this occasion," he said, holding his detonator high up into the air. 

All of us raised our detonators, and in unison we activated the explosives.

 

Best damned fireworks display I ever did see.