the implant

1 - The funeral

There needs to happen much before something grows completely unrecognizable. Much has happened through time, and there is nothing left anymore. Well, nothing except for the knowledge that the end has devoured us. The destruction mauls on us like a hungry dog mauls on a bone. The funny thing is, that we're both the dog and the bone. It began about a decade ago. It was risky from the beginning, everyone was aware of that. However, humans never have resisted on laying their avid hands on the unknown.

It was barely a cubic centimetre; if you looked at it and wouldn't know what it serves for, you could easily forget about it. But if you knew about the consequences it would bring, you would certainly wish that it never existed, not even in the form of the tiniest idea, lurking in the corners of the human mind.

It took lots of time, complex research and experiments before the project succeeded. It was a huge breakthrough on the neurological field. All over the news. In its final version, there was no doubt that it was extremely powerful. Just like it was supposed to be.

The implant was a newly developed weapon by the military. It was inserted in the brains of soldiers, and then connected to a computer. Nothing that could possibly go wrong, right? In theory, the proposed neural implant would be able to heighten the senses of the soldiers, so that they would have a better chance of winning in combat. At least, that is what they said.

Soon, after the success of the experiment, people started disappearing. It started of with a handful every day. When the numbers rose to the triple digits, in the same areas, it became a serious issue. It were mainly adults between twenty and fifty years. Many children were left alone, scared and confused. Me and Astra are examples of those children.

My clothes are covered in dirt, my arms are getting tired from digging. Why am I doing this? I could've just moved on, leaving the body, letting the insects and the fungi take care of it. They would do that anyway, even if he was buried.

The corpse has cooled down a few hours ago. It was a boy about my age. I've not witnessed his death, I've never seen him in my life, but the holes in his torso told me enough. His mouth half-open, blue eyes staring into the void. I have to admit it, he is quite handsome. If there was anyone left, every girl would've been falling for him, making up scenarios in her head about him being her boyfriend, giggling when he was passing through the hallways of her school. Well, soon that will change, when the maggots get the best of him. I leaned against the shovel, and took a few breaths. It was already getting dark, so I had to be quick.

"What are you staring at?" I pouted. He didn't answer. "Rude," I muttered. "Has no one ever told you not to stare at strangers? No? Not even a slightest trace of manners?" Silence. I sighed. "Sorry, I know you can't do anything about it anymore. But you could've just closed your eyes before you died. Would be easier for both of us, you know." I threw the shovel aside and kneeled down, bowing over him. "I think it would be scary to see myself bleed out," I whispered. "All alone. The bullets burning my insides." My gaze wandered to his torso. I counted the holes. "Seven. Seven bullets. I feel sorry for you..." I shivered. "Well, enough small talk! You've probably waited long enough for your funeral now. Just one thing. May I?"

I stuck my hands into his pockets. A lighter. A shrivelled up tissue. Some coins. "I will only take the lighter, you can keep the rest." That was when the last sun rays were gone. "Okay, it's getting late, almost have to go." I quickly adjusted his blond locks, and folded his arms over his chest. "Since there is no one you love to say goodbye to you... I'll do it for them." I placed a kiss on the forehead of the boy. "There you go. Are you ready now?"

I grunted under the dead weight. With a loud thud, he fell into his grave. "Don't forget to say hello to the maggots!"

I saw how the handsome face disappeared under the earth. Before I walked away, I took his backpack with me. We will inspect it in the cabin. "Soon it will be my funeral," I mumbled nervously. "They will kill me when they discover what I was doing all that time." I quickened my pace.

Finally I arrived. I knocked on the window. Two long knocks, three short ones. I heard a shriek from inside, and footsteps that were almost running. The door opened so fast I jumped. I was facing my younger sister. She pulled me by the sleeve and dragged me inside.

That was when the yelling erupted.

"WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU BEEN?! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WERE GOING OUTSIDE?!" I cursed myself. This was not how it was supposed to end. I hated seeing my little sister angry like that.

"Astra... please, let her breathe. Tell us, what happened? Are you alright?" Rhea placed a hand on Astra's shoulder, and then looked at me, worriedly. "No," I managed to squeeze out. "I... I was at a funeral." Both Rhea and Astra raised their eyebrows. "Of whom?" Cassius interjected, rather curious than mad. He was sitting in the corner, leafing through some old, yellowed book. The little prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

"A dead boy," I answered. Gosh, I really wasn't trying to hide the fact that I am an idiot.

"Wouldn't have guessed," he said sarcastically, not looking up from his book. "How did he die?" "Gunshot wounds. Seven bullets in the torso. The body was still warm when I found him." Astra grabbed her hair. "Then why did you have to bury him? Do you even care about us? Why would you leave us like that, huh? Without telling? Have you got any idea how dangerous it is outside?We thought they had taken you! That you were dead. DEAD!"

The entire cabin went silent for a moment, before she added: "Dead, just like that stupid corpse that you chose over us."

I started to shake. My face was getting hot. It didn't even take seconds before the tears joined in. "I... I just felt sorry for him! I didn't think about it..." "Obviously you didn't." Cassius said under his breath, turning the page.

"I don't understand why you are mad, Astra," Zephyr said calmly. He plopped on the sofa next to me, putting his left leg over his right leg. "I'm not mad!" she yelled with a flushed face. "Just worried! And I'm not the only one here!" "Well, you're expressing yourself in a very odd way. You're not comforting her, just making her feel more guilty. I guess that's not what a sister is supposed to do?"

"That... that is none of your business!"

"Anything to add?"

"Zephyr, you're not helping anyone!" Rhea sighed.

At the same time, Astra turned around and rushed upstairs.

"That wasn't necessary," I whispered, looking down at my shoes. They still had mud on them. Ignoring me, Zephyr grabbed the backpack.

"Let's take a look at what you've brought with you, shall we?"

It was the usual stuff that a Refugee would pack. A fire starter, some canned food, a bunch of clothes, a pocket knife, rope and...

Everyone gasped and backed away. Zephyr almost dropped the object.

He was holding a white cylinder, that could be no longer than five inches. All of us knew exactly what it was. It was a weapon. And not just any weapon. It belonged to the Puppets.

"Where could he possibly get that?" Rhea said wide eyed. "I have no clue," Zephyr said.

"You need to throw that away,"

We all looked at the corner of the room. Cassius stood up, his thumb between the pages of the book. "Why would we throw that away? Do you realize how powerful this weapon is?" Zephyr scoffed.

"I do. The problem is, that those things send signals to the owners when they've lost them. In a few hours we'll have a bunch of Puppet asses standing at our doorstep."

My heart skipped a beat when I realized what I've done.

A/N: You've just read 1391 words of absolute crap. Jokes aside, I would be very pleased when someone comments on some grammar/spelling errors, since English isn't my first language. You should also let me know if I can improve something about my writing itself, so that the continuation of the story will be better than this (if anyone even bothers to read further lol).