The Eden Projects (EDITING)

Chapter 41. Baby Steps.

- Zero -

The envoy units rumbled down the road, their oversized tires stirring up the dirt and loose foliage that all but covered the roads heading away from their outpost. It was all so new to Zero. The light, the window. Something other than the back of his eyelids. The treads made a curious glugging noise whenever they found clear pavement. For at least a part of the team, this was their first time in a very long while, leaving Ark perimeters. They were all as groggy as owls midnoon. It was late, and the sun had just nearly swung out of the sky, painting the horizon in pale shades of pink and orange. 

"Stay frosty boys." The commanding officer, Matthias, shouted back to them from the passenger seat. "We're nearly within proximity." 

Zero checked his straps again. Among the soldiers, he definitely stood out. His unnaturally whitened hair and predatory eyes made him a distant cousin to them. The kind who sat alone in family gatherings, and lingered at the outskirts of the rest. He was different.  He wore no armor, and had only one weapon, stored out in the open at all times. His vest didn't hold magazines or specialized bullets like theirs. In fact, it only held a few sets of chemical vials, a single trigger laced down his sleeve and into his hand. 

Reactive Chemicals.

Explosives.

Trigger-rigged explosives. 

He fidgeted with the kill switch. He had one directive. If caught, push the button. Suppose he had any sense of self preservation, it would be impossible. Zero held his tiny life in the palm of his hand. 

"So boss-man sends us out on recon with Greenies and what, an Infected?" The man closest to Zero spread his legs, jostling his much smaller limbs aside. "Not gonna say anything? Are you a mute?" He looked him over. 

Zero kept his gaze forward. Catching the man's staggered movements in his peripheral vision.

 "Hey- can you hear me." He grabbed Zero by the arm.

Zero turned. "I've been instructed to stay on target." For a moment he let the man look at him. His free hand working at untangling his dog tag from a strap that secured the upper portion of his vest. "You are not the target. Maybe you should focus as well." 

"Is that so." The man bristled. "What's your target then?"

"O'Neil. Leave him alone." The head officer shouted back as they turned slowly. Avoiding a tipped car. 

O'Neil, scoffed, letting him go. "In all due respect Sir, some of us have lost people to these things. Now we're expected to work with them?" 

I am a thing, what thing am I...

The Sir in question only grumbled, waving a hand back. 

"It's wearing damned dog tags. I mean come on." 

"If your question is, can I hurt you. The answer is no." He did his best to calm O'Niel and pulled himself free. "Not directly." If moving lips was what a smile was then he did that too, careful not to reveal his unnervingly pointed teeth.

"Is that a threat?" 

Zero slowly blinked. Smiling warmly. "Never." 

O'Neil sat back. "Whatever." He slid the toothpick back into his mouth. "What's it here for eh? Mal doesn't trust us or something?" 

"I heard it's analytics." Another man playing with the toggles on a radio said. 

"Analytics, for what?" O'Neil growled. "What's there to analyze Matt."