Altered Earth (Soldiers of the Earth Book 2)

Chapter 11

Everything in my field of vision seems to fade away except for Tyler's face. My legs feel weak, my heart lurches, my fingers go numb around my gun. Time seems to stop. His face is frozen in surprise. I can't move.

Please, a little voice inside of my head begs as my lips refuse to speak. Please don't make me hurt him. I don't want to. I can't. I won't.

His expression morphs into determination and he takes aim and fires his rifle. I feel the bullet hit me in the small patch of unarmed skin below my neck. The pain is immediate and searing. I go from mentally feeling like I can't breathe to physically being unable to. My knees fall to the ground, and he's above me instantly. He throws off my helmet and looks into my eyes. A tiny part of me begs him to remember. I can't tell if he remembers me in this virtual world before he aims at my head and pulls the trigger, sending my vision into bright, white light.

"Two lives remaining. Three stages incomplete." A robotic female voice announces as my feet touch the ground again and I'm back at the start of the Divide.

"Rachel," I hear the instructor's voice again. "Do you need a minute?" I nod automatically. "Ok, I will give you a two minute break before the simulation will start again. Remember, Rachel, this is not real. It is just a test. Don't hesitate."

It's not real, I repeat to myself over and over. I'm not hurting Tyler. This is a virtual simulation, designed to test my ability to kill. And to see if the memory wipe worked. They're testing me in more ways than one, and I'm starting to fail. I can't blow my cover. There's too much at stake. Kill the simulation for a chance to save the real Tyler.

The simulation begins again, and I pick up the helmet and gun once more. The scenario plays out the same. I know where Tyler is. This time, when he tries to snipe me from the building, he misses. This time, when he tries to flee, I catch him. This time, when his eyes lock with mine, I aim my gun and shoot first.

It's not real, I tell myself as he drops to the ground and lets out a grunt of pain that nearly ruins me. I'm reminded of the time I almost lost him to the Darthra. How much I ached to see him hurt and feared losing him. Every muscle in my body twitches to move toward him. To hold him. Not real. He gasps for air as blood pools out of his chest and onto the dusty shop floor. My heart shatters. I feel the familiar sting of tears that I try to force away. Not real.

My lips have the urge to whisper his name. The sight of him like this makes me want to take it all back. I want a restart. A do-over. I want to go back to before we lost each other and convince him to run away with me so far away that no one would ever find us or hurt us. Not real. The light from his cobalt eyes fade. My soul collapses. I want to scream. Not real.

"Stage one complete. Two lives remaining." The female voice announces, and Tyler disappears. The Divide fades away and everything goes white again. When my feet touch the ground this time, I recognize the place yet again. It's dark out, but I'm standing next to a looming wall in a grassy area full of trees. The Reserve.

"Are you ready, Rachel?" The instructor's voice asks.

"Yes, sir," I reply.

"Begin stage two." He announces.

I pick up the gun and put on the helmet once more, and the world in front of me springs into motion. Not far from me, I see a white-clothed figure hop from the wall and sprint toward the trees. I take off after them, my eyes scanning the area for other threats. None appear as I get closer.

The figure turns its head to get a look and I see that it's Alfie. I will myself to force off the part of me that loves these people. The part of me that would never hurt them and would die to save them. I'm being tested, and I cannot fail if I want to protect them.

I aim and fire, the laser hitting him in the shoulder. He yelps in pain but makes it into the trees. Unfortunately for him, the white clothing stands out in the moonlight. Unfortunately, that means I stand out too. I see him take out a gun, a gun that he would never have if this were reality. He aims and misses. I pick up my speed as he weaves through the trees. When I get a clear shot I take it immediately. He collapses. I stop running so I don't have to watch him die.

But the simulation doesn't end. I can see him twitching, hear him gasping. He's still alive. This won't end until his life ends. I step forward, trying to imagine him as someone else.

"Please don't kill me," He chokes out when I get close, blood spurting from his mouth. "Please."

I look away and aim and fire. A part of me still feels destroyed. Not real.

"Stage two complete. Two lives remaining." My heart beats so fast I can barely hear the female voice. When I'm placed into the next stage, the instructor's voice sounds like mumbled jargon. I'm losing myself but trying to stop it, and in return, a cold, empty focus is taking over.

I'm put in the middle of an outsider camp. The instructions are to find the Kofali hostages and kill the human captors. Shots come from every direction. I take out who I can and move forward. It seems endless, but I do everything I can to finish this strong. I enter the room with the hostages. The captors are familiar, as expected. Elliot, Kieran, Leah, Abe, Molly, Angie. It's so obvious the Kofali want me to break. They want me to give up. They want proof they can execute me or brainwash me to oblivion. But I won't let them win. I take out the captors one by one as if I was born to do it.

"Stage three complete. Congratulations, Rachel Collins." The female voice announces.

I'm brought back to reality with a jolt. My mind barely registers the instructor congratulating me and unplugging me from everything. I've avoided suspicion for now, but I just want to know that I really am out of that virtual nightmare. That Alfie, Elliot, Leah, Tyler, Molly....all of them are still here. Walking out as if in a daze, I begin my search.

I find Elliot first, and my brain instantly starts to relax. It wasn't real. He greets me with a smile and asks how my training went, and I do my best to seem nonchalant and unaffected as I glaze over the details. He seems worried right away, but doesn't say anything. I ask him about his conversation with Rexon right when his tablet beeps, notifying him that he has another patient to attend to.

"I'll have to tell you about that later. I learned a lot." He whispers, his expression dark as he walks away.

I continue to walk around in search of the others, just wanting to see for myself that they're alive. I spot Alfie and Tyler in the cafeteria, and although they don't see me I'm relieved to see they're really alright. When I pass the training room I was in earlier, I hear screaming and almost stop in my tracks. Kofali guards emerge, holding onto Rebecca in a vice-like grip.

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME HURT HIM! YOU WON'T!" She's shouting as heaving sobs wrack her body. My blood runs cold. They broke her. I glance around frantically, hoping to see Cole or Kira or Razec. Someone that can help. I see Rexon walking down the hall and sprint to him, grabbing his arm. Before he can speak I whisper.

"If you're on our side, you can't let them take her. They'll see everything. Do whatever it takes, get Cole, do it yourself, I don't care. If you're really with us, now's your chance to prove it."

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