The Cyber Age

Chapter 6: The First Attempt (Part 3)

Braden ran down a long hall, beyond the door. He figured if RuPERT was sending his soldiers after Braden, he most likely couldn't get Braden himself. No way to know, though. Anything can happen in a dream.

Braden then noticed that the soldiers had broken down the door he'd locked, and were chasing him down the hall. Braden felt adrenaline pumping through like blood flow. But he was almost there! He couldn't lose now. He could even see the door!

Braden was within nearly ten yards of the door, when out of nowhere, he was shot in the abdomen. That's it, He thought. It's over now. He couldn't make it to the end of the test, but as long as he could get the others out, he could be of some use.

The cockpit door was already open, probably because of his last close call. Then, the soldier shot again. This time hitting him in the leg. He was so close! Braden bolted into the cockpit, slamming the iron door.

Braden desperately looked for a lock on the door. Braden was breathing heavy. He couldn't find it! He turned around, looking at the controls desperately, hoping for a lock. He spotted a button labeled Cockpit Lockdown. It was his only chance now; Braden threw his hand onto the switch.

Immediately, he heard iron bars slide between the door and the walls. He was now secure. Braden looked at his stomach; blood was pouring like a faucet on low. He looked at the controls, breaths labored.

There was a twisting-knob labeled Slant. That was what he needed. If he twisted it right, the ship would slant right, and if he twisted it enough, the ship would turn entirely upside down. Braden felt a sharp pain. He looked down and realized his shirt and pants were saturated entirely in blood.

He was freezing, due to the fatal blood loss. He felt overbearingly light headed. Braden knew what he had to do. He twisted the knob to the max, turning the ship upside down. Braden fell to the ceiling as the ships floors became ceilings, and ceilings became floors.

He didn't have much time left. Hopefully they could do it without him. Wait! He forgot he had to put it back to its original slant! If he didn't, the others may not complete the mission correctly. He didn't know if he could, though. His world was slipping away.

He was starting to see the black pixels. It was now or never, though. Braden took a deep breath, and with all he had, he jumped up. His body screamed in pain, but he managed to make it under the control pad. With the floor being the ceiling, Braden would have to jump up to turn the knob.

Braden took another deep breath. As he stood directly under the incline knob, Braden jumped up, losing nearly all his vision now. Braden, who was hanging on to the knob with one hand, twisted his entire body in one motion, setting the incline back to normal.

Braden let go of the knob, and fell back to the ceiling. As the ship turned back, Braden fell again, this time back to the original floor. Braden dropped to the floor in relief, and extreme pain. Hitting his head on the ground, Braden blacked out entirely.

Good thing this was only a simulator, otherwise they'd be one teammate down. But even so, they were. Now, Cyber Four would have to complete this without Braden.

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As Tristan sat there in the dark, nothing to think, nothing to do, he thought it was way too quite. It had been several hours since Braden left. Tristan didn't even think that Braden would come back. He probably died out there. There was no reason he should believe that Braden would return.

"He's coming back, you know. He came before, even if it was after like five days." Said Tristan. Tristan heard Kendall scoff. "If I have to spend another five days with the bad boy and the whiny, I'll have you wake me up." Said Kendall. Tristan and Brent were getting tired of her sarcasm and sass.