TERRA NOVA EPISODE 16

TERRA NOVA
EPISODE 16
KILLER FOR HIRE

“Yes, he is.” A voice says from behind Chris. It seems emotionless and genderless, mechanical at its finest.
The wolf’s hand moves, but it is useless, he can already see that the keyhole to the device containing him is facing his elbow. The one in front seems to wear a black business suit, but wiry protrusions stick out along the side. The voice rasps again, “Unlock him, we didn’t pay just to have him be a trophy…”
“Are you sure tha-”
“Just DO IT!” A mechanical arm drops down and fits a rounded key into the lock, popping both the bars around his hands and feet and dropping him to the floor. As the wolf shakes his head the man speaks, “So you really were awake…”
Chris doesn’t respond directly to this, only turning around to look to the person behind him. He appears to be dressed in simply the same uniform as the other soldiers at first glance, the only thing different is that the body armor is red and the face mask white. “Make a move towards the president and you’re dead.” He says, a modified assault rifle raised to his shoulder, the laser sight painting a dot on the wolf’s head.
Chris turns around to face the ‘president’ as he begins to speak, “You do realize why we haven’t killed you for failing your objectives right?” the pause he leaves between statements is hardly enough to let anyone speak, “Because we need #8464 back from the program, and we’re willing to do that at any cost.”
“Let me get something straight… you imprison all the people with animal traits in the city… you try and kill my friends… now you’re saying that I’m actually working FOR you?” The wolf raises his pistols in a flash before the guard can react, one pointing at the figure the other at the man in red armor, “… I don’t think so…”
The figure laughs and opens the shades with the press of a button on his desk. His body is penetrated by tubes and his skin hangs loosely on them. A dirty brown liquid flows through them, cycling what can only be guessed as supplementary nutrients within the man’s body. Without the life-support system the president would have looked to be like a skeleton, and most like would be one in the ground without it. “You understand now don’t you…”
“… No… I don’t.”
“Then you’re a fool… we’re trying to grasp everyone’s fate from death. We haven’t been imprisoning the spliced, we’ve been protecting them from the program.”
“From what? Being killed by something other than your undead minions!?”
“All unfortunate deaths resulting from their inability to comprehend what we’re doing. We are far from saints, but we are not murderers, if the program completes its original goal then all will die, in gross contrast to what we have prepared…”
Chris finally drops his pistols back in their holsters, “…then know this, you crazy son-of-a… I’m only going to do this because I have a bone to pick with a certain orb… after that you’re going to release the spliced you have imprisoned and leave them alone.”
“That is an agreeable solution… Joseph, you are to guide our mercenary to the bay, then you are free of your service.”
With the weapon that is in his hands now at a stand-by position, Joseph’s red gauntlet comes to his head in a salute, “Yes sir. Follow me ‘wolf-boy’.” He moves to the door on the side of the room away from the skeletal president.
“Don’t call me ‘wolf boy’…” Chris growls as he watches the guard swipe a card across a reader. The door opens to reveal the interior of an elevator, the glass side allowing a view of the sprawling city below, “Just where did you bring me?”
Joseph closes the door and punches the button for the ground floor, “The Spire.”
“How far up are we?”
“Around eighty miles.”
“One last question: Why build something this large?”
“That is not for you to know yet…” Joseph grumbles.
*******
Rob continues to stare at the iron gate in front of him, the blue-armored guard on the other side watching him with suspicious eyes from under the helmet. Suddenly a squeal emerges from the human’s green helmet and his hand reaches up to verify, “Go ahead…” A long silence prevails until the guard opens the cell and gestures to the right, “You are to follow me.”
Rob moves out the door and begins moving in the direction, his hands bound by a pair of cuffs, the keyhole facing his elbow, “Surprised you haven’t killed me…”
“Don’t you worry about that.” Apparently the fox moves too slow for the guard’s liking as his white fist pushes him along. They stop in front of another cell, this one containing Jeffron, “You, come with us.”
The komodo walks out of the cell and walks with them for a while before suddenly whipping at the guard with his tail. “HA!”
The human grabs it with incredible strength and only releases it when Jeffron finally gives up, “There will be none of that…” He simply turns Jeffron around and continues to push him forward.
*******
Chris follows Joseph to a large door, “Is this it?”
“You think I’m a tour guide?” Joseph says sarcastically as the doors open to reveal a large four wheeled tank. Four triple barreled cannons lie above each wheel, a double artillery battery in the center, “This is the GreyHawk. It’ll serve as your base of operations for the assault.”
Two furry ears pop out from the door, listening to them, then is followed by the rest of Jgirl’s figure, “Bout time you got here… did the old coot tell you anything of interest?”