My reaction to seeing my friends should be joy, but thanks to the Kofali it's only fear. Fear that the Kofali are watching. Fear that we could show that we remember, and they could ruin us. We've come so far together yet it could all go to waste in an instant if we aren't careful. The Kofali would have no issue erasing our minds. Even better, they'd probably love to kill us knowing how much we mean to the rebellion.
Leah and Olivia seem to grasp the problem. I can see it in their faces. But Alfie and Tyler clearly have no idea. We will have to keep an eye on them while we are in this simulation. Though I can't help but think that the scrutiny doesn't end here. What if we all make Level One and end up on the same unit? What if we clearly show we remember something while on a mission and get reported?
"Nice to meet you, I'm Alfie," Alfie interrupts my thoughts, extending his hand for me to shake it. I do, barely managing to mumble my name as he moves on to introduce himself to Tyler. These introductions are weird to comprehend. It's hard not to sound overly polite, as if you've never met these people when you know you have. Even Leah and Olivia pretend not to know me, and I follow suit.
We chat as if we have no care in the world, discussing our points and our kills. I notice that they haven't come across as many creatures as we have, and I wonder if Tyler and I have found all there is to find. We even go around and everyone talks about why they want to be Level One. Leah wants to fight. Olivia and Alfie both want the perks being a Level One has: upgraded rooms, more freedom, potential rewards. Tyler wants to feel like he's making a difference. I can't mention that I want to be Level One just to stay with Tyler and make sure he's safe. Or that I want him to remember. So I claim the perks are what I want too.
The sun has set by the time we finish talking. All of us agree to turn in for the night, making a plan to find more to kill first thing in the morning. I barely sleep even with a room to myself. My head spins thinking about if I have enough points to be Level One. If I don't, I may lose Tyler and Alfie once again. I've already learned that instead of living on the main ship, the Level Ones stay in luxury apartments that the Kofali have modified and maintained. With that and the opportunity to be deployed to different reserves, I may never see them again.
As soon as the sun rises my body wakes. I don't remember if I dreamed or not this time. My sleep was too restless, and it hasn't eased my worries. I walk downstairs in a daze, joining the rest for a breakfast of Kofali fruit.
"By the way, look what we found in this safe house." Leah announces excitedly, holding up what look like the Kofali version of grenades. Silver in color and small in size, I'm sure they are extremely powerful. "They're some kind of explosive. Our helmets told us how to use them. We have plenty of time to get out of the way, and they'll kill pretty much anything."
"Do these exist outside of this simulation?" Tyler asks, curious.
"Not that I've seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if they did." Leah shrugs.
"These would be perfect for the Nepius." I say, thinking out loud. Realizing none of them seem to know what I'm talking about, I clarify. "They're these massive scorpion looking things in the woods. They're worth a ton of points."
"Perfect," Leah grins. "That's what we'll hunt for today. Hopefully we'll find enough to get all of us the points we need."
We suit up and head out, not willing to waste any time on our last day. All of us agree to take off in a direction that none of us have gone yet, hoping to find plenty to kill. The tall grass starts to inch higher as we go on. Trees begin surrounding us again, becoming more dense the further we go. The air is quiet except the sounds of insects.
Up ahead, a body of water starts to appear. The closer we get, the more murky and wide it looks. I can see the land across from it, and where it ends on all sides. It's like a pond.
"There's something in there." Olivia's voice comes through the speaker in my helmet. I try to look more closely at the water, noticing some ripples in the center of the pond. The ripples get larger, and a set of black eyes appear over the water, watching us. It's not enough of the creature for my helmet to get a read on what it is and how many points it's worth.
"Should we move on?" Tyler's voice comes through.
"No, wait for it to engage. I need the points." Leah replies, echoing my thoughts. I feel my heartbeat increase in nervousness as she takes a step forward toward the water's edge. The creature doesn't take its eyes off of us, but it does begin to inch forward. The murky water makes it hard to see its body and gauge its size. I imagine a fish-like monster, which regardless of its size should be an easy kill if we stay out of the water.
Suddenly, I see another pair of eyes. And then another. A part of me is relieved that there will be plenty of them to kill. But the first one that inches closer begins to rise out of the water. Greji: plenty of points according to my helmet. I look at the creature again and realize that not only is it huge, it can stand. It has long, thin legs and equally gangly arms. Before my brain can process that the creature is standing, it begins to run.
"Let's get em!" Leah encourages, unfazed. We begin shooting. The monster falters as our laser beams strike it, but it takes a lot for it to go down. These things are durable, and more of them are coming out of the water. We continue to shoot, but more of them continue to emerge. Each of the creatures gets closer and closer. The amount of them seems to be endless. I can only imagine that when they reach us, they will swarm us and end one of our lives.
"The bomb, Rachel!" Tyler's voice shouts.
"Go for it!" Olivia agrees. "Get the points and get us out!"
Without hesitation, I take one out and follow the instructions my helmet gives me. Once the explosive is activated, I toss it.
"Run!" I turn and sprint the way we came. I have no idea if the Greji are following me, but I seem to get a decent distance away before I hear the massive explosion and see a bright flash of light. The force isn't enough to knock me off my feet, yet I do stumble to my knees, feeling the vibration in the ground. To my relief, the explosion leads to silence and I can see my point total rising up drastically.
"Great job," Tyler exclaims breathlessly, and I look over my shoulders to see the rest of the group recovering behind me. Someone is breathing very quick and shallow.
"Everyone ok?" I ask, noticing one of us leaning over with their hands on their knees. The rest of the group takes their helmets off except Alfie.
"J-just a second," He stammers. I take my helmet off while Tyler removes Alfie's for him. His face is pale, his eyes wide.
"It's ok, man. Deep breaths. We made it." Tyler murmurs, rubbing his back. Alfie looks up at him and his eyes seem to widen even more. He turns his gaze to me, his expression wild. My heart lurches Something is wrong. This isn't just a panic attack.
"Alfie?" My voice is barely above a whisper.
"I remember," he struggles to get the words out. Immediately, my blood runs cold. No. Not here, not now. "There was an explosion. Before. With you and Rachel-" I try to hush him, but he continues. "I know it happened! They took it-"
"You're just having a panic attack, breathe, it will pass." Leah says loudly, trying to get him to stop talking. The Kofali are listening.
"It's not a panic attack! It's not a dream! I remember, and they-" Before any of us try to silence him again, he disappears in an instant. Silence takes his place. I know right away what has happened.
The Kofali have pulled him out of the simulation.
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Author's Note: Hi everyone! I started a new story on Wattpad :) If you like fantasy that involves magic, dragons, and romance, this one is for you! Check it out on my profile, it's called Princess of the Ashes.
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Altered Earth (Soldiers of the Earth Book 2)
Science FictionRachel Collins has achieved what she originally set out for, but she's discovering that her fight is far from over. Months have passed with no news of her sister Mary's whereabouts or any type of plan to rescue her captured friends. The more she fin...
