SOAR - Book One: DEAD HEROES

CHAPTER 19: A CONCLUSION, A HERO, AND AN ODD TELEVISION PROGRAMME

19

a conclusion, a hero,

and an odd television programme

The next this Iris knew, she hit the ground with a painful thud. Her entire body was sore from the violent trip with the TV.

“Where are we? What would’ve happened if that force-field wasn’t there, Wire? Were you trying to kill us?!” Iris asked, getting up slowly. Her eyes were still blurry and she couldn’t make out where she was. All she could see was that the TV was still intact and Wire was rubbing his head sorely.

“For your first question, we are somewhere nearing the end of the year one billion, the day right before Project Rjaxor should have been re-opened. For your second question, it would’ve gone by way smoother if the Resurrected weren’t there. The reason why the room was so perfect was because it was made a day before Project Rjaxor re-opened, which meant that it could act as a history reference point that we can erase everything that went on in the building after that room was built. But when the Resurrected entered, it interfered with the timelines because of the amount of Resurrected and the room had to end up erasing itself as well. What should have happened is that I would type in the erase code and then we would all wait a while as time erased the Resurrected, while we were safe inside the room. We were in the middle of the erase because the stupid Resurrected were there. And for your third question, no, I was not trying to kill you.” Wire explained, getting up and stretching his arm forward to see if the force-field was still there. It wasn’t.

“Ow…” Locke mumbled weakly, getting up slowly. “That was the worst erase, EVER!”

Flynn and Korwyn nodded, though Iris wasn’t sure if it was because they agreed or if they were just suffering from a stiff neck.

“What going on up there?” Korwyn asked, pointing ahead. Iris’ eyes gained focus and she realized that she was standing in the middle of a field with blue-green grass and black stones laid across it with equal spaces.

“I think we are in the cemetery Toni had spoken about.” Locke said as he pin-wheeled his arm. The other’s confirmed his theory as they saw a tall, dirty white building in the distance.

Just ahead of them, there was a line of people with six pallbearers carrying a coffin. They were all dressed in a dark, blood red. “Let’s go take a better look. That is a soldier who died fighting for this planet; I think we should pay out respects.” Flynn said, pushing himself off of the TV and towards the line of people.

Wire, Korwyn, and Locke nodded and began to follow them. Locke noticed that Iris wasn’t following and turned to look at her. He saw that she had returned to sleeping and was about to shout at her to wake up when Korwyn dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t bother her. She has probably had the toughest day of all.” Korwyn whispered, and Locke nodded agreeingly; pivoting on his heel and returned to tailing Flynn.

Locke, Wire, Flynn, and Korwyn read the black headstone that was set at the head of the open grave which was engraved with the words, “Leoni March. A brave soldier who led her troupes to victory.”

Flynn reached into his pocket and pulled out four silver roses that were cut from the plants in the Core. He handed one to each of his friends and they all placed it atop the coffin which held a person they had grown to consider a friend. Leoni March, whom they had known as Toni, lay in a beautiful red dress with her arms lying at her sides and her light brown hair was splayed underneath her head.

“She looks so beautiful.” Korwyn said as she tucked her rose underneath Toni’s – or Leoni’s – hand with the three others. The people who were attending the funeral looked momentarily surprised when they saw a few strangers appear but as Korwyn let go of Toni’s hand, the people looked away.