Science Fiction Multi-Feature Picture Show

Infliction Part 5: Graduation Day

She knew it was graduation day by the explosions.

Rice hadn't spoken to her since their confrontation over the body of Agent Cresswell. She wondered if the other agents knew what happened to the man. After crying alone in the sparring room she went to fetch the others. His body was already gone. Though Rice didn't speak to her, the other students left her alone as well. Going about business as usual. The only difference was the talking. She watched how Rice would pull them aside, the hand on their shoulder. She wondered if any of them said no to him, would he snap their necks too, without a second of remorse. How did she not see before he was a monster?

She wasn't surprise when the sparring rooms began to blow up. Not sure who was responsible for that one, possibly Jake. The flames were visible from the narrow window of her room, great plumes of red orange flame, white hot at the center. The air crackled and smelled of lightning and ozone. Whatever Rice was planning was big. She wanted nothing to do with it. When the screaming started, she put her hands over her ears, wondering how long that resolve would last.

Her answer came in the form of Madame.

"Just going to sit there while he razes the Center to the ground?" The woman had entered her room unnoticed until she sat on the bed next to her. Behind her stood a vacant eyed Laurie Brett, her purple streaked hair faded and frizzy.

"You created monsters. Didn't expect them to turn on you?" Shaz nodded toward the blank faced girl. "You could send your soldier in after them."

"Mantis is a guard, not a warrior, not a protector. Would you truly unleash a creature like Devastation onto the world? A world your father still lives in?"

"His name is Reese Rice," Shaz snarled, jumping to her feet. "You could have trained him to be a hero instead of a villain. He could have been a savior for this world instead of destroyer!"

"Do you truly believe that, Shazia? We might bring our subjects here, but we chose them for the Center because their minds were already poisoned. By greed, by rage, by jealousy, their hands were already stained with blood. We simply directed their focus toward a useful goal."

"And me? What did you have planned for me?" Shaz hit her chest. The Madame winced, touching her own.

"You were different Shazia. Your violence was unintentional. You felt true remorse for your actions. I had other hopes for you."

"Oh and what were they?" Shaz wanted to spit in the woman's face.

"You were a contingency plan. The only one capable of taking down the worst of them." The Madame held nothing back, laying the truth bare between them. The older woman sighed, gesturing to the chaos outside. "I hoped for more time to prepare you, to teach you, but it seems Dev--Mister Rice has 'gone off the res'. He's turned the students against us. Incited anarchy. He's killed nine of my people in the past hour. Ten minutes ago, he began forcing a breach in the perimeter wall. If he breaks through, he will unleash all of them into the world. What will you do Shazia Faraj?" The Madame stood, nodding to her. Brett stepped forward, laying an object wrapped in cloth on the bed. Both women marched out without a word.

Shaz stared at the package, her feelings rioting against one another. Part of her hated the Madame, the Center, for what they had done, for the insanity of it all. Another part of her hated Rice, for buying into it, for becoming the villain. And part of her hated herself, for not seeing it, for letting it happen, for falling for him.

She grabbed the package, unwrapping the gun. She'd never fired one before, afraid what would happen, but she knew the basics from their training sessions. She clicked the safety off.

She would stop Rice.

The halls were full of fire and scuffles. Students squared off against one another or against guards. Apparently not everyone bought into Rice's plans, or he simply hadn't bothered with them. The matches were unequal. The ones who fell were weaker, unable to fight properly. He hadn't bothered with the lesser ones. Shaz couldn't help but interfere a few times. She got between Brody and a shot of lightning, sending the girl in convulsions from her own current.

"Run, get out of here!"

"Shazia!" He called after her. "He's in the yard!"

She picked up her pace. She could hear the booming crack of concrete giving way, the screech of tearing metal. Skidding to a stop at the entrance, she saw she was too late. Rice had breached the wall. Fighting poured through the hole, out into the streets. Some of their classmates were already streaking away into the night. Rice held another boy by the neck, legs kicking feebly. Shaz recognized Jake as the crack of bone echoed through the air.

"No!" She screamed. She hadn't expected someone like Jake to stand up to Rice, but he had and it cost him his life.

"I told you to stay out of my way, Shaz," Rice said softly, peering at her over the rim of his glasses. His eyes were empty of their familiar warmth.

She swallowed, gripping the gun tight. "You're gonna suffer for what you've done. And I plan on being a very big part of that." Her voice shook but held her ground as Rice turned toward her.

"Is that so?" He sneered. "You think you can take me?"

"I'm counting on it," she whispered.

Rice rushed her, shoving her back. The action reflected back on him, sending them both flying in opposite directions. Shaz slammed into the wall, unhurt but the gun flew from her grip, skittering across the floor.

"I can't hurt you Shaz, but I can trap you," Rice grunted, flinging a sizable chunk of the wall at her.

Shaz yelped, rolling out of the way. The slab of concrete landed on her foot, pinning her in place. Rice grunted, stumbling for a second before shaking off the pain.

"Not even you can stop me, girly girl. Come find me when you change your mind."

She struggled against the weight of the concrete. The gun was over a foot from her outstretched hand. There was no way she could reach it without freeing herself.

Through the haze of fire and smoke, a familiar figure emerged, a cleaver dangling from her limp grip. Laurie Brett squatted next to her, placing the cleaver within Shaz's grasp.

Shaz looked up at her, realizing what she had to do. "I don't know if this will work. If it hits you, I--I'm sorry."

Rice's attention turned their way. He blurred.

There was no time to think. Shaz gripped the cleaver, raising it over her head as Rice seized Laurie, gripping the sides of her head. There was a flicker of fire in her vacant eyes as the cleaver descended. Rice snapped her neck as her severed foot fell to the ground. He frowned at the foot. Shaz was gone, free from the rock that pinned her. He spun, around looking for her and froze.

"Don't," he said, raising his hands. "You could be killing yourself!"

"That is a chance I am willing to take," said Shaz. The barrel of the gun was pressed against her eye socket. Rice blurred. She pulled the trigger.

The sound filled her world. She felt the brush of his hands on her neck before his body hit the floor, a smoking bullet hole where his eye used to be. "Not completely invulnerable," she said. She let the gun fall from her hands, stalking away from the death and destruction. She walked through the hole Rice created, fading into the night.

There were others to stop.