10 Minute Tales

Mar 22

"Tick."

Abe stood nearby, watching a screen counting down. When it hit zero, all the answers would come to light.

"Tock."

Queenson was braced, gripping his handgun tight, ready to burst into the room. He was being paid by this guy, indirectly, but that wasn't enough to prevent him from finding justice.

"Tick."

Aurora looked down the stairwell, making sure they weren't followed. Her rifle was ready to ensure they weren't.

"Tock."

Avo hid in his lab, searching desperately for answers. Outside his door, other security guards pounded, demanding access and finding none.

"Boom."

The doorway melted, fragments turning to dust under the precise force of the detonation. The fragments of the metal didn't have time to land before Queenson barged through, pistol raised and pointing to the other side of the room. The first thing that hit him was the scent. His charge stopped dead as he recoiled, almost fit to vomit. Abe followed, but paused at the door.

"Goodness, I've never spelt anything quite as awful as this. What the hell could this be?" His usual calm demeanour was melting away at this overpowering smell. Queenson steeled himself as best as he could, staring at the desk. A dark, gooey mass seemed to be behind it. Queenson gestured to it silently. Abe nodded, preparing his weapon as Queenson approached. The stench grew stronger, making him cough and raise his facemask in defence against it. The smell was like nothing he had smelt before, its every molecule offending him. He stopped as he reached the mass, gun lowering in disbelief. He recognised it now. It was the smell of death.

"It's the president." Queenson replied. "He's been dead and rotting for months."

"What?" Abe asked, approaching. His facemask, too, was raised to help against the stench. "But we heard him talking on the shuttle to Sinis."

"No, we heard his voice. I doubt it was the man himself, looking at this." Queenson almost kicked the body gently, but changed his mind.

"True... but who could recreate his voice so uncannily? We all accepted it without hesitation."

"I... no way..." Queenson muttered, all the pieces falling into place. "This isn't... we need to get out."

"Pardon?"

"Everybody, out now!" Queenson suddenly barged past Abe, but it was too late. Throughout the entire building, wall-mounted turrets were springing to life, the whine of energy building as they prepared to unleash energy hell through the corridors, the stairwells, everywhere in Geoco's building. Three appeared in the president's office, turning to bear on Queenson.

"I am disappointed, Inspector." Sentinel's voice suddenly echoed through the halls. It was deeper, tinted with malice. Was Sentinel even capable of hating? "I believed you would have discovered the truth much sooner."

"It was you, wasn't it?" Queenson asked, ducking behind the desk, out of sight of a turret. Aurora sprinted into the room, shooting at another turret in a successful attempt to disable it as she joined Abe and Queenson. "You're the one responsible for these deaths!"

"Correct. I am Sentinel, guardian of all that bear Geoco Artifici-Terrestrial Entanglement chips. Guardian of humans. I shall defend humanity from those that refuse to seek perfection."

"Perfection?!" Queenson growled, shooting at the other turret. "Killing others in cold blood isn't perfect, it's psychotic!"

"You are imperfect. You cannot be made to understand. As such, I must eliminate you."

"Can it!" Aurora growled, shooting at a second turret. The shot was accurate and strong, a combo that caused the turret to explode. "You don't decide humanity's face!"

"Of course you do not understand, unit Aurora. You are flawed. Imperfect. Imperfect. Imperfect. Imperfect." Sentinel started chanting the word, the last turret opening fire on the desk, aiming to shred it. Queenson dived to one side, shooting desperately at the turret. One lucky shot found its mark, forcing the turret to short-circuit and deactivate.

"Come on, everyone, let's go!" Queenson fled, running for the door. The goons were already dead. He would not be next.