Against the Tide - A New Elysium Story [Complete]

15. The Girl Who Died on Thanatos 3

The ship that had descended on the planet like a falling star had landed near their camp.

Five man had disembarked, and they had brought an air of death with them. The planet was named after an ancient god of death, but she had never quite felt that the name fitted before the five had approached them. Their looks were stern, their faces grim and as grey as the uniforms they wore.

The survey crew had just prepared dinner and sat in a circle around a low table covered in research material and illuminated by a single LED-lantern, when the five men came. Their shiny boots were heavy, and as they splashed through the shallow water they tore through the colorful carpet that covered the ground. They had no regard for life whatsoever, she realized, and she could feel a surge of disdain well up inside of her.

"Where is Ann Park?" one of the man stepped forward and spoke, without a greeting.

"Who's asking?" the man sitting next to her asked.

The man in the grey uniform snapped his head in his direction and fixed him with his cold glare. His eyes were dark. She could see nothing in them, they did not even seem to reflect the light of the lantern.

"I'm the one asking the questions here, you impertinent-"

The man who had spoken next to her rose to his feet.

"I am Professor Rob Zacharie, and this is a sanctioned survey mission," he spoke in a calm but firm voice. "This whole planet is under an official blockade for the duration of our survey, you are not supposed to be here. You are trespassing. I have to ask you to leave."

The uniformed man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you for real, old man?"

"You are in violation of your own laws," Zacharie said. "Scram."

"I'm here for Park," he growled.

He took another step toward their group, and the purple streaks at his feet erupted in a last, blue-phosphorescent burst before they died. He lowered his gaze onto his shoes, covered in glowing goo now, and he clenched his hands into fists. Behind him, the four others tensed up, too. She could see light about them now – not in their eyes, but on their skin. Running in fine lines across their faces and hands, as the scanners and combat augments flared to life.

They know, she realized. They knows what she is, that's why they came for her.

She cast a glance to her other side, where Ann had frozen up completely.

"Where is she?" the man in the uniform snarled anrgily, his head snapping back up to look around at their group.

But why? Why Ann? She never did anything to harm anyone. And besides-

"I could have all of you pro-bots shot right here for harboring an aug!" the man screamed at them, his face turning an angry shade of red that contrasted with the blue glow of the lines that ran across it. "Or she can come with us peacefully. So which will it be?"

His scanners don't work right, so he doesn't know who of us is Ann, she realized. The emissions from the meteorite must be messing with them... and it's so small, that part of her that they worry about... just a chip in her heart to keep it beating properly. Why would anybody care about that? It's so small that he cannot even detect it right now.

The men didn't have any guns. They didn't need any weapons to bring in an augment, especially one like Ann, because they were weapons. But she wouldn't let them take her. She got up and took a step forward. Professor Zacharie grabbed her wrist to hold her back, but she shook him off and took another step. She faced the angry man and stared straight at his dead eyes.