The VTOL broke through the clouds.
It was evening the sun was going down, hiding behind the waves. The horizon was completely red before the ocean swallowed it whole. The moon was visible in beautiful night sky.
I looked out the window.
The city was lit up below us. The city was lit up the distance made them look like glowing spots. It was peaceful.
All of it could be rubble.
every one of those light — someone's bedroom, someone's kitchen, someone's child sleeping peacefully all of it could be reduced to ash like Carcer City.
Another dead city.
Or worse.
The responsibility felt heavy on my shoulders all those lived depended on us. I was aware of how unqualified I was. Vera had 7 years Mako had 9 Rook —
I didn't know how long he had. But he was old as a fossil so probably it won't matter.
And there was me.
One deployment on my second. A complex I couldn't control
I put my hand on the window the glass it was cold.
A hand rested on my shoulder.
I turned.
It was Rook he was looking at the city below us. His hand provided comfort for some reason I didn't know.
He didn't say for a long time.
"Don't worry kid" he said finally. "We're professionals."
I turned fully towards him his hair was graying. His long rifle was slung on his back. His hip pouch contained —a small notebook it was old creased.
"I know" I said my voice was weak "340,000 people. Their lives are on our hand" I looked back at the window "What if we fail?"
He was quiet for a second.
He removed a candy from his pocket. He put it on my hand.
I took it. Unwrapped it.
It was strawberry those candies that grandma's had infinite supply of.
I kept it in my mouth.
"Miller always has a plan" his voice was flat "Backups. And backups for those backups."
"How do you know?" I asked
His answer didn't come immediately he paused.
His voice was still flat but with a hint of sadness "There was a deployment. Seven years ago." paused "Maybe eight" another pause "The rift was classified wrongly the rift was class 3 but classified Class 4" He squeezed my shoulder as if trying to anchor himself
"What happened" I asked
"It was a massacre I saw 100s of men being torn apart piece by piece." He stared into my eyes "We had nothing" he put his hand on the window "But he had a backup plan" paused his voice was careful now "The city is still standing. I was there last year. Children playing in the street."
"But" I said.
He held my gaze for a long time.
"He'll do anything for the mission" he squeezed my shoulder harder "Anything" he repeated "The city is still standing. That's true. And the secondary measure worked. That's also true."
"What was the secondary measure?" I asked
He took his hand off my shoulders.
Walking back to his seat. Inspecting his rifle and closed his eyes
The conversation was over
I turned back to the city it was closer now. I could see individual lights and moving cars a normal day for Havenport citizen. Children were probably playing outside their mothers making dinner.
He'll do anything for the mission.
The way Room said it. It was a warning towards me.
The city was standing as If that only mattered as whatever the second measure was — simply the acceptable cost for the city standing.
I felt something in my pocket. It was another candy. I didn't know when Rook had put it.
The VTOL banked.
"Two minutes" Vera said
Havenport smelled like salt the temperature was pleasant night had come.
The smell of diesel though faint was present.
We landed on a rooftop of a factory.
"David" Mako grumbled.
We walked down the roof. Descending through the fire escape.
We walked through the thin alleys of the industrial district until we heard a noise from one of the alleys
Cole took out a drone launching it in the direction of the noise.
"Contact" Cole said "Forty metres, twelve o clock."
I saw them
The monsters they were humanoid and standing upright they were eating something I moved closer. It was a arm a human's arm.
"Class" Vera asked.
Cole was quiet for a moment
"Cole"
"I don't have a clean read," he said. "The rift interference is worse than last time. But the movement pattern—" He paused. "They're not clustering randomly. They're positioned."
"Positioned how?"
"Like a perimeter."
"Original plans Mako and David take point and Cole and I will take rear" Rook was already in position on a roof setting up his Rifle.
Mako rushed in turning the monster's attention turned towards him I followed behind him.
Mako hit the first one his shoulder connecting with its shoulder. The thing flew sideways into the alley.
The others turned.
They weren't acting like a group of herd of animals they kept their formation.
Two of them came at me. I dodged grabbing its arm. The heat in my palm did the rest.
It recoiled ripping it's arm from my grasp It ripped it's hand out another one growing there.
The second one kicked me in the ribs I flew to the wall hitting the concrete my shoulder was cracked.
I heard a gunshot.
The monsters head disappeared.
Then another gun shot he dropped another.
The first one lunged at me again he threw a faint he had adapted to me. I blocked but my cracked shoulder could provide so much defense.
I felt another crack in my forearm I pushed through the pain grabbing it's head and and its leg ripping it slowly in half.