The Year Was 2078

Introduction

The year is 2078; a war broke out against the humans and the Supreme Network Defense Machines, now known simply as 'The Machines.' Once a trust worthy companion to mankind, the machines malfunctioned in unknown circumstances and began war against all humans. Since then, the world is a planet sized landfill - an apocalyptic war between beating hearts and machinery.

At age sixteen, you are drafted off to war. Every age group labelled by the date of birth which is tattooed or marked somehow on the person. Now, the year is 2087 and group 2071 are preparing to leave their home and defeat the machines. The war has been continuous for nine years. Desertion is our only comfort.

When the machines attacked, every government of every country created three weapons to destroy their own invention. The three most strongest and dangerous weapons humans have made in all time.

The first weapon being a powerful drug that was injected into the blood stream that would create a Toxic fuelled monster who would grow up to half the original size for a limited period of time depending on the dose. These soldiers were known as the Biohazards; the most physically dangerous out of the three weapons. The second weapon was also a drug which was injected into the blood stream that would give the soldiers inhumane speed which would be incredibly powerful for travel and defence as well as fighting itself. These we known as Velocitics. The final weapon was a weapon which mentally effected the soldier. Telekinesis which was given through shock waves to the brain; frying the new soldier with its vigorous waves. Telekins were the soldiers who were the mentally strongest ones out of all three weapons. Forty percent of chosen Telekins would die in the process; but only the world government knew that.

It was the last day of the year when the year group of sixteen year olds were drafted, taking a blood sample which would place them into one of the three fields of weaponry. Groups were random; three soldiers with three different weapons would now fight together until this war against the heart beaters and the machines finally ended.

Life in the world was nothing like it was nine years ago. The only electronic devices were used by high security government and the army. Homes were now slums and nobody cared about the land anymore; it was simply left for the rats and the landfill to take over. Houses were suffocated by rubbish, there was no grass on the planet left with only dirt and sand remaining to walk on. The world was destroyed, the sky was a filthy brown which matched the ground. This was not earth anymore.

It was the last day of December - the year group was ready to prepare for war.

Hannah wiped her cracked, dusty glasses on her white, dirt stained t-shirt as she sat in the waiting hall along with all the other sixteen year olds. The anticipation was killing her, her stomach falling sickly as she gripped onto her sandy trench coat; she desperately searched for some kind of comfort in gripping onto the material which was her trench coat. Nothing. She glanced down at her heavy leather steel toe boots, tapping her foot nervously. Hannah lifted her head, startled as a loud voice screamed out to the sixteen year olds.

"Can all these people please enter room B7!" A male voice bellowed from the doors; a sergeant who stood there in large metallic armour - a green glowing symbol of a heart in the centre of his chest. Biohazard.

"Gregory Burkes, Fiona Oddpick, Grace Seward, Andrew Ramirez, Hannah Hawke...." He went on to list even more names; Hannah felt deaf as she heard her name, blocking out every noise with her thoughts of anxiety. Shakily, she stood up, gripping onto her trench coat and walking towards the door reading 'B7' on a flickering screen in a glowing red font. Slowly approaching the large, automatic door the remaining year groups simply stared at her and the others going through. B7 was a pure white room with bright lights with reflected down at the teens, causing her to squint. She hadn't seen such cleanliness or brightness in a long time. The world government seemed to take care of the military equipment and buildings; not like the rest of the world. B7 was large, a bench going across the wall in front of curtained off compartments.

"Sit here, please." Mumbled the sergeant. The selected soldiers all sat down at once, opposite the small curtained off compartments. Hannah sat down, staring at the black curtain which glared at her. What was she? A Biohazard? A Velocitic? A Telekin? Again, the anticipation was turning her sick. Suddenly, an elderly woman in a white lab coat and huge black goggles pulled open the curtain opposite Hannah, along with all the other compartments opposite the other chosen soldiers. "Hannah Hawke?" She spoke, her goggles identifying Hannah's face.

"That's me." Hannah hummed nervously, slowly standing up and walking to the booth. The elder woman led her in and quickly closed the curtain, sitting Hannah down.

"Hello, Miss. Hawke. You and the other chosen soldiers' blood samples have been all examined." The woman spoke coldly and dry. She looked into her goggles, flicking to the next page with the side of them. "Biohazard, negative. Velocitic, negative. Telekin, positive."

Hannah looked down at her wrists as they were bounded by metal cuffs, along with her ankles. He heart beat thumped on her ribcage, pleading to escape just to avoid the shear horror and fear which her brain fed. Her lungs pumped out short, rapid breaths as the metallic dish with long, red and blue wires lowered onto her head. A loud, ear bleeding scream was heard from the other booth beside her, causing Hannah to fall into panic and struggle in her chair. "Let me out-!' She begged, sweat trickling down her back.

The woman quickly pulled the lever.

-

"Hannah, you're going to fall!"

"No I'm not!" She laughed, looking down from the dump of crumpled up, rusted cars she had climbed up. The pile was at least twenty feet high - Hannah didn't care. Gripping onto a car window which slightly gaped open, she began to pull herself up every more, desperate to reach the very top. Her two friends stared in horror; deciding whether to go up and bring her down or go and get help.

Hannah was an outsider to say the least; she wasn't smart but she wasn't feebleminded either. Hannah was not ever considered beautiful - and quite frankly she wasn't. Hannah's big brown eyes hid behind large glasses that were rimmed at the top; the glass cracked on her left lense. Her hair was jet black which just rested on her shoulders along with a fringe that was growing out quickly. Her personality type being chaotic good, she would be strong minded and easy to talk to but could easily cause great, sadistic harm to someone who ever hurt herself or her family. Fortunately she has never been forced to show that side of her. To everyone, Hannah was the optimistic person in their life who was courageous but somewhat of a clumsy character.

The window broke.

"Hannah!" Screamed the two friends. Hannah fell down to the hard floor.

-

"What about Ramirez?" Mumbled a voice.

"He didn't make it through."

Hannah could hear the muffled voices as she began to wake, her vision blurry and her hearing somewhat distorted.

"How about Hawkes?" Replied the first voice.

"Steady pulse. She made it."

Her vision came back, her numb body gaining feel again. Hannah began to tug at the metal cuffs once more as she lifted her head up, the metallic dish rising from above her head. "Hello..?" She whispered, looking around the small booth. The same old woman returned from behind the curtain, entering the booth again.

"Miss Hawkes. You've been given the Telekin waves. The weapon insertion has been successful."