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Darkness shot him like a bullet down the long slick corridor. Feeble moonlight flashed off spinning, lethal blades. Forever slashing. Carnage lay unmourned in his path. By now, the endless killing motion was beyond his control. He just needed to get back.
Silent attacks continued to launch from behind the cargo stacked in the gloomy warehouses. Automatically he carved a path through their neat rows perched next to the docks and it’s tainted water. Slight cover was better than none at all. His connection with the killing machine weakened as the blood drained from his injuries. Face clenched into a mask. Hands unable to loosen their grip on the throttle. Blades propelling him forward in a tail of severed enemy limbs.
Deep within the pockets of his suit jacket lay the prize of the night. His raiding party most successful. Thick layers of catalyst lay in a folded sheaf against his breast. At least 6 months for he alone and another six to trade with. At least one already gone to stem this fucking blood flowing from the punctures in his arm and leg. He pictured the healers face and urged his machine gain haste to the old man’s side. With his mental strength focussed on the lined face in his head, the machine coursed uncontrolled through the wharf buildings heading straight for the tunnel entrance under the city. All caution taken by his human rider forgotten in the drive to reach the image in the masters head.
It would seem no enemy could be alive in their path, but the enemy had new resources Mercury was beyond caring about. With more blood in his system, he would have noticed.
Silent attacks continued to launch from behind the cargo stacked in the gloomy warehouses. Automatically he carved a path through their neat rows perched next to the docks and it’s tainted water. Slight cover was better than none at all. His connection with the killing machine weakened as the blood drained from his injuries. Face clenched into a mask. Hands unable to loosen their grip on the throttle. Blades propelling him forward in a tail of severed enemy limbs.
Deep within the pockets of his suit jacket lay the prize of the night. His raiding party most successful. Thick layers of catalyst lay in a folded sheaf against his breast. At least 6 months for he alone and another six to trade with. At least one already gone to stem this fucking blood flowing from the punctures in his arm and leg. He pictured the healers face and urged his machine gain haste to the old man’s side. With his mental strength focussed on the lined face in his head, the machine coursed uncontrolled through the wharf buildings heading straight for the tunnel entrance under the city. All caution taken by his human rider forgotten in the drive to reach the image in the masters head.
It would seem no enemy could be alive in their path, but the enemy had new resources Mercury was beyond caring about. With more blood in his system, he would have noticed.
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The Verag turned off the spinning blades as they entered the tunnel. The spinning noise of death abruptly ended in the low brick tunnel stretching ahead. It’s pilot light switched on in this safe place, bouncing a path off the brick and earth walls. Even here, it was best not to touch the edges. The corrosive outside could have penetrated here close to topside. A quiet, cruising speed pushed them toward the healer.
The symbiote could not see Mercury sprawling prone across it’s crown. It could, however, feel their connection stretching tight and was consumed with delivering him safely. All energy was focussed on one man, ahead in the tunnels. The Verag probed for his location among the hundreds of kms of hidden civilisation masked behind brick and lead walls. Eventually it locked on. So close.
The symbiote could not see Mercury sprawling prone across it’s crown. It could, however, feel their connection stretching tight and was consumed with delivering him safely. All energy was focussed on one man, ahead in the tunnels. The Verag probed for his location among the hundreds of kms of hidden civilisation masked behind brick and lead walls. Eventually it locked on. So close.
Without his master, the machine was useless. The blood and mind link so important, it forced the machine to lay servitude at human feet. The Verag had had previous masters. Weaker, moral men. It wasn’t letting Mercury go without a fight. He was the perfect fit.
The blood connection was weakening fast as the duo swung through the healer’s camouflaged door. The old man struggled to release the blood grip between them. Even though the Verag withdrew his connector spikes from Mercury’s ankle, his cold grip remained tightly clenched around the throttle. If traces of blood had not still been in the symbiote, the healer would simple have broken it off. With the machine still functioning at his side, he dared not further hurt it’s master.
Despite his middle age and depleted condition, Mercury was a fine specimen laid out on the healing bed. A sinewy vigor held his muscles and plumped the veins in his hand. Money would be in this job. The old man busied himself with attaching the healing machines, cutting away the three piece suit and exposing a body strong and wiry. With the last of it’s blood strength, the Verag smoothly slid over to the abandoned jacket and vacuumed it in the under-compartment. Then turned off.
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Writing by Jodie DeDauton
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