Standing there on the deck of the ship, the storm raging all around me, I felt something coiled around my ankle like a Slytheris. It tugged on me slightly as if it were making sure it was fully secure, before violently pulling me upwards as I just began to register it. It was determined to yank me into the sky, into the darkness.
No one reached for me. No one hesitated in their choice. Ash stood there, shocked filled her expression, but it was likely for the storm and not for my well being. Void just watched, unmoving, frozen to the idea that he was experiencing his trauma once more, not sparing any worry other than for himself. Kath was the one who stepped forward, her face unreadable but calm. A gun was in her hand.
I knew what was coming. I could see it all unfolding as if it had already happened a thousand times before.
"Of course," I thought bitterly, "why would they save me?"
We barely know of each other. Never really let anyone in, always kept my distance, always in the background. So why would they bother to save me when their own lives were at stake? They barely knew me, and I never gave them a reason to care. Yet, it was easier that way, this is how it should be, it makes things easier for all of us.
Kath raised the gun, her finger tightening on the trigger, the tendrils tugged harder, pulling me further into the sky. I could feel my breath being stolen from my lungs, but I didn't struggle. I didn't plead.
"This is what I expected," The voice in my head spoke. "This is how it was meant to be. No hesitation. Sacrifice the less, to save the rest of the ship."
Kath's hand didn't waver.
I stared down the barrel, my heart racing, but not with fear. It was resignation. A sense of finality. Of inevitability.
"Although I guess, it would've been nice to know if at least someone cared."
The muzzle flashed, the spark of the shot, the bullet began its approach.
.
.
.
I woke up to the soft hum of the hover rail beneath me. For a second, I had no idea where I was. The world around me felt hazy, like I'd been pulled out of some deep, heavy fog. My head was resting against the cool window, the cityscape of Edynis rushing by in streaks of grey and muted lights. The rail car swayed gently as it hovered along its path, smooth and quiet.
Blinking, I forced myself to sit up, blinking away the sleep from my eyes.
"A Hover Rail Car?" I thought, confused. I'd never fallen asleep on public transit before. Not that I could remember, anyway.
As the fog in my mind began to clear, the reality of my situation slowly returned. I was on my way to Nottingpad. The memory clicked into place. I'd picked up a short-range delivery, just to get out of my head for a while. The job was nothing major, basic courier work, ut it gave me an excuse to leave Port Botanik, to step away from... everything. From the ship. From the crew. From Kath.
I hadn't expected to fall asleep, though. That was a first.
Looking around the hover rail car, I noticed how quiet it was, almost empty. A few scattered passengers sat further down, minding their own business, some staring out the windows like I had been. The usual low chatter of city folk was absent, just the hum of the rail and the occasional crackle of the intercom announcing the next stop. I guess that's just to be expected this late at night.
"Next station, Nottingpad city, exit through the left door." the voice announced.
I let out a slow breath, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep and that lingering weight on my chest. The nightmare still clung to the edges of my mind like a bad taste. However, there was no time for that right now. I'd taken this job to clear my head, not dive deeper into it.
.
.
.
The client's door opened with a creak as I handed over the containers, the transaction quick and mostly wordless, like any other delivery I suppose. I signed off on the delivery, gave a curt nod, and turned on my heel, heading back towards the hover rail station. It should have felt like any other delivery. Routine. Straightforward.
As I walked through the quiet streets, the city came alive in ways I wasn't used to seeing this late at night. The soft glow of street lamps bathed everything in a warm amber hue, and ahead of me, strings of colourful lights crisscrossed above the streets, guiding my path toward a lively city.
Kids were still awake, playing tag among the crowded roads, their laughter ringing out into the night. Carefree. Innocent. The sight of it struck something in me. I couldn't help but think of Kath, the way she had this lightness about her sometimes, the kind of joy others couldn't help but get caught up in.
For a second, the weight of what had happened hit me all over again. I shot her. I killed her. I did what I had to do. It was for the safety of everyone. If it had been me up there, being taken to be the cause of a singularity, I would've wanted someone to shoot me. That's how it worked. It was simply procedure.
Ash's face flickered into my mind. The way she looked at me after the incident, her eyes filled with anger and disgust, like I had done something unforgivable.
My pace slowed as the thought weighed heavier in my mind.
It was the right thing to do... wasn't it?
