Sacremon (Harmony War Series Book 1) (7 page)

           
A gang member from the Three Skulls walked onto the train, he looked at the W3C crew with shock, the doors closed behind him before he could run.

           
“Don't worry lad, neutral territory, going to the Cit,” Quentin said in calming tones.

           
The boy nodded but his eyes looked over the weapons W3C were carrying warily.

           
The train continued on until Mega-city came into view. That wasn't its official name, but the number of mega towers grouped together were the most on Earth, it was Capital City, but the people in the slums didn't like giving the CEO's their own city. So the slang Mega-City stuck.

           
The dust seemed to stop as they passed through a thin blue line.

           
There were sounds of amazement as people looked at the city that didn't have sand covering every surface.

           
Mark and Tyler looked on with indifference; they had escorted more than one person to the citadel.

           
I wonder if they do it just to impress us.
Mark thought as air cars, hover-trains and even combat shuttles moved through the air between the mega-towers in apparent chaos. Everything was shiny silver; rust seemed reserved for the slums compared to these silver edifices.

           
Mark looked to Tyler; his brother seemed to sense his stare.

           
“It's finally here eh?” Tyler asked, Mark knew his brother was feeling the same nervous butterflies in his stomach.

           
“Yeah,” Mark said, licking his lips, his mouth dry as the train continued towards its final destination.

           
I’m more nervous than when I go out on a raid.
He thought moving his shoulders in anticipation; the calming feel of his weapons against his body was gone.

           
The train glided to its next stop as people started to pile out.

           
Mark's eyes were immediately drawn to the tall sword looking building that dominated the courtyards in front of him. To either side of the sharp point of the building were the letters EMF.

           
Quentin pushed on like he had been here a hundred times. He glanced over the decorative potted plants that lay through the courtyard.

           
Mark had been told that weapons systems lay under those potted plants. He used that to draw his attention instead of thinking about what he was going to do. As soon as he and Tyler were signed up then their lives would change, the people they knew from before would probably be dead by the time that they got their first leave, their lives would never be there for them to come back to.

           
Some people had even come back to their gangs being wiped out.

           
He tried to push those thoughts from his mind as they pressed on.

           
Mark didn't falter, remaining straight as they walked to the glass doors which lay open at the base of the Citadel.

           
The group left dust trails behind them, robots followed cleaning up those trails.

           
Quentin stopped, the detail stopping with him.

           
“Alexis, Tyler, Mark, follow me, the rest of you stay here.” Quentin moved through the detail, the three mentioned following him.

            The citadel’s doors were twenty-foot-tall and remained open, showing the burnished metal and high alcoves around the lobby.

            Mark was proud and awed to just be standing in it, a symbol of overwhelming power.

To the left people in EMF uniforms walked through security checkpoints, not giving a second glance to the ragtag group of recruits that were heading up to the consoles at the center and right side of the citadel.

            Behind the main desk sitting ten feet up on the polished steel walls, was a massive emblem of the EMF. Earth rested in the background, stars for every system underneath it. An Earth Military Forces Carrier was in the foreground, Combat shuttle to its lower left and a trooper in armor to its lower right.

            The place was spotless, even with the slum dwellers looking to become troopers heading across its polished steel floors.

           
There was no time to enjoy it as Quentin led the way to the front desk in the lobby.

It was made of dark wood, glass fences breaking up the table as screens with the revolving EMF logo sat behind sturdy crystal matrix glass. On their side there was a simple scanner and a speaker. Quentin passed his hand over the scanner. The screen came to life with an androgynous looking man-woman smiling, their voice also carefully modulated to sound like all of Earth’s accents and none of them.
        

“Hello Captain Richter, what can I help you with?” The brown skinned, brown hair brown eyes computer screen asked, its mouth even moved.

           
“Three new ones for the troopers,” Quentin said, nodding for the three to come up beside him.

           
“Will the applicants please press their tags under the scanner?” The computer said

           
Mark did it without thinking.

           
“Mark Victor, please look to the floor, do you see a red line leading to the left of this desk?” The robot asked.

Mark looked down seeing that the floor around the lobby had different colored lines heading in different directions, like the lines in the private hospitals that led people to different sections.

“Yeah I see it,” Mark said.

“Good, please follow the red line for testing,” the robot said.

           
“Tyler Victor, please follow the red line for testing,” the computer said, Tyler running his tag through the scanner.

           
“Alexis Xin, please follow the red line for testing,” Alexis looked to the other two expectantly. Mark saw a bit of nervousness in her eyes. He didn’t miss Tyler’s hand grabbing hers and giving her a reassuring squeeze, or the way she returned it.

           
Quentin looked at them all.

           
“Look after yourselves and those in your squad, listen to order but think for yourselves. If you can, get more training than in basic, take the pay cut for staying awake. That time could keep you alive on your first drop,” Quentin said, looking to us all as if we were no longer subordinates to him, but had entered a group exclusive to those that he believed to be his peers.

           
“We will,” Mark said, Tyler nodding while Alexis looked as if she was regretting the whole thing.

           
“Good, then get your testing done, W3C will always be there for you, all of you now,” Quentin said with feeling, his eyes falling on Alexis who straightened.

           
He took another moment to look us over, as if impressing our faces into his memory. With that he turned to the doors and headed out to meet the rest of the W3C crew that were waiting for him.

           
“Come on,” Mark said, his footsteps heavy as he followed the red line on the floor that led to an armored door.

           
Running now would mean that troopers would be dispatched to bring you back, no one made it past the courtyard. Once you touched your chip to that scanner, the EMF owned your ass unless you were deemed as useless, you died, or somehow survived till your thirty-five-year contract was up.

           
The door let them through, medics wearing the red cross of their trade on their shoulder pushed applicants through doors.

           
“You three, over here, one per door!” One of the medics said, calling them out.

           
“See you on the other side,” Tyler said, holding his wrist up.

           
“Been some time since we did this,” Mark said, they both grinned, tapping their wrists three times and shoulder barging one another.

           
Tyler laughed as they separated and walked to their doors.

           
Alexis shook her head at their antics.

           
The door opened for Mark and he stepped inside.

           
He found himself in a room the size of a large closet, lights went off for a few seconds and then came back on before panic could overcome him. Another door opened and he found a medical person an examining table and a few cabinets along the room’s walls.

           
“Scans look good, do you have any augments?” They asked working on a tablet and not even looking up at Mark.

           
“I have one I want to get put in,” Mark said, remembering the tech in his dusters pocket.

           
“Let’s see it.” The medical person held out their hand, Mark hesitated for a second before putting it in the medic's hand.

           
“Where the hell did you get this?” The medic asked, changing from bored worker to intrigued medic, putting away the tablet and pulling out a scanner.

           
“Gift from my boss,” Mark said.

           
“Damn, actually purchased part, with a sanction for implantation. I can put it in you right now,” the medic said.

           
“Umm,” Mark said, unsure.

           
“It'll be free, I just want to see how this puppy works, this thing is sweet,” the medic grinned.

           
“Sure, what do I have to do?” Mark said looking around the room.

           
“Lie down, I'll put you out, get this in and you'll be good,” the medic said, moving to a cabinet.

           
“Is there a way I can stay conscious?” Mark asked, not happy with the idea of being knocked out with someone holding onto this augment.

           
The medic looked unhappy but sighed.

           
“You newbies are always less trusting, makes sense coming from the slums,” the medic said, moving to the other side of the room and grabbing tools.

           
“I can do it, but I suggest you look at the ceiling, getting your guts cut open is an odd experience to see and not feel,” they said, pulling out a rolling table, putting various tools, needles and the augment on it.

           
“That's fine,” Mark said, his voice calmer than he felt.

           
“Good then, on the table, lie down,” they said, coming back to Mark, their rolling table now with a collection of tools on it.

           
The medic brought over a tray of medical instruments and the augment.

           
He injected Mark with three needles before he could start to complain. He stopped feeling his side as the medic pulled out a laser, opening along his lower ribs.

           
“Fuck me,” Mark said, breathing heavily as the medic pulled out the augment, hit a button as small hair-thin lines moved outwards.

           
“This is going to feel uncomfortable,” the medic warned, retracted the augments lines and putting it up and into Mark's ribcage.

           
“Almost,” the medic said, sounding calm as hell. Mark felt like he was watching someone else get their innards played with, but the feeling of pressure on his back made him feel the blood drain from his face.

           
Calm down, he's done this before.
Mark thought, looking at the ceiling.

           
“Done,” the medic said, their hand coming out a little bloody. They sprayed something into the wound which started to clear up.

           
“It will feel odd for a few days, but it won't hurt, you have any problems talk to your unit medic. I'm putting it on your file now.” They pulled out their tablet, “Those nano-machines are
awesome,
and they’re already integrating into your systems and starting to get to work. It’s running an internal scan of you. Damn I wish every person had this, its instantaneous information and self-repair!” The medic squealed.

           
“Thanks,” Mark said, another needle snaked its way into his leg.

           
“No, thank
you
I don’t get to see this tech, like,
ever!
” They grabbed a needle, jabbing it into Mark’s leg.

           
Feeling returned to his body and he felt, fine. Well it felt like the area under his right peck was itchy, but it wasn't painful or annoying.

           
Another needle snaked into his arm.

           
“You love those things don't you?” Mark grunted.