Chapter 14

Chapter 14

That night he dreams of his son as a small boy standing in a pool of pitch-black water. Logan is wrapped in vines and stuck to a nearby dead tree. Unable to break free he watches as the waters begin to rise.

“Run boy! Come to me! Prometheus wake up!” Logan screams. The vines reach from the tree and cover his mouth. He tries to scream but words won't come. The water is upon the boy's chin now, his eyes open and begin glowing a pulsating green color. He reaches from the water and yells.

“Father! Help!” He screams. The water rises over his face and he begins to drown. Frantically his little hands search for help, flailing back and forth. Logan summons every bit of strength he has and bites through the vine covering his mouth. He rips himself from the tree and falls to his knees sobbing as his son's body floats face down in the black depthless water. A rumbling noise fills his ears as he looks towards the nearby forest. Trees the size of buildings begin to shake, something is knocking them down. As each one falls the creature gets closer to Logan. As his eyes acclimate to the night they focus in on a creature that is towering over even the biggest of trees. It easily knocks them over as it approaches the clearing where Logan is. He stands up and stares in awe and shock. Yellow piercing eyes are all he can see of the shadowed monstrosity standing on the edge of the forest. It reminds Logan of when a predator is about to pounce on its prey.

“You have done well, little human. I will be born shortly into the world once again! Your purpose has been fulfilled and you may die now.” It bellows. Logan fills with rage and lashes out.

“My purpose has been fulfilled? What purpose is that, huh!? Creating the fucking Remnant that are now ravaging my world! To Hell with your purpose and to Hell with you!” Logan screams. The creature roars in anger.

“THIS IS MY WORLD! IT WAS STOLEN FROM ME AND I WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE BACK! YOUR KIND WILL SUFFER FOR WHAT THEY DID TO ME!” It screams.

The very air seems to be reverberating. Logan is almost knocked over but stands firm.

“We’ll see about that mother fucker! Don't underestimate us, I will find a way to stop you even if it costs me my life! You took my son from me and for that, I will do everything in my power to stop you!” Logan screams. The creature raises its mighty hand high into the air and slams it down on Logan. He wakes in bed screaming in fear and drenched in a cold sweat. Suddenly in his mind as if someone is whispering to his very soul a voice echoes. His ears ring hard, a piercing sound fills them. His head begins to pound like never before. He stares in the mirror at himself as a pain begins to erupt from the wound Prometheus gave him. Green lines begin to extend across his chest as the voice begins to speak.

“Come to New Delphi, be here by sunset tomorrow eve. I have chosen to help you at great risk to myself. I have the answer to your equation, do not be late.” It whispers. The voice vanishes as quickly as it came and the pain begins to subside. The green lines also disappear as Logan comes back to his senses. He plots out dozens of scenarios but the truth is without the Thanatos suits, humanity doesn’t have a fighting chance. He knows this is likely a trap but something about the voice seemed trustworthy, it seemed familiar somehow. He calls Val and tells her he was contacted by Richard’s brother Luke who is a master mathematician and that he lives in New Delphi. A small lie to save mankind is worth the price. He thinks. An hour later he stands ready on the flight deck, his mind is spinning with possible outcomes. That was always his special skill, his parents deemed his never quiet mind as incredibly curious. Always trying to predict the outcome to a decision and the next and the next and so on. Lost in thought he doesn't even realize Val is standing next to him. The Director drones on and on about the dangers and risks.

“Alright let's do this, Leo do you mind if I take point on this one?” Val asks.

“Go ahead, I can't be in charge if I can't be biased and this fucker right here really makes me uneasy. I don't like him or trust him.” Leo exclaims while staring Logan down. He’s had enough of the accusations and Logan snaps. He grabs Leo by his face with his metal hand and begins to squeeze.

“I can hear you, you do realize that right? For fucks sake enough! Without me, this war is already lost! Blame me all the hell you want to. I'm the guy who is going to give us a fighting chance, I vow it on my life! Logan screams. Val rushes in and breaks them up, Leo bursts out laughing.

“Finally I see your backbone! Good, you're going to need it if you want to stop the Remnant. You may end up being alright Rich boy!” Leo slaps him in the back hard, Logan just shakes his head. They board the hovercraft and Val walks up to Logan and hands him a handgun.

“It’s better to need one and have it than not have one when you really do.” She says with a wink. Taurus is next to board and he sits down next to Logan with a loud thud. He motions for a handshake and Logan complies, both of their robot hands clank together.

“You have Olympia tech too!? Dammit, I want it! Stupid ass war of the robots, I scheduled my surgery and bam now the world ends. Always something amirite?” Taurus says with a smile.

“When we get back I can do the upgrade for you if you want.” Logan replies. Taurus lights up with a huge grin, he begins shaking Logan’s hand profusely. In his mind, Logan can't help but think about what future lay in store for humanity. He hasn't told anyone that his Thanatos suits will transform a human into a hybrid machine creature. Once the suit is put on it can never come off again. It floods the body with nanomachines that are linked to our neural system, humans can repair cell damage in real-time. Their senses and reaction times will skyrocket but the procedure will have a survival rate of only twenty-five percent.

Yet another secret he must keep from the people around him but if he can’t show proof of a successful test then humanity loses the slimmer of hope it’s clinging to. Taurus finally shuts up and Logan opens his laptop and reviews his files on the Thanatos Program one last time. Every calculation must be right, there is no room for the slightest error or the neural uplink will fry the human brain. He downloads the data into a flash drive that is plugged into his cybernetic arm.

“Do we have any intel on the mark?” Leo asks.

“Quiet down back there! We are going stealth, massive activity ahead according to radar!” Val commands. They enter Greece's airspace to find the great city of New Athens in smoldering ruin. Black smoke billows across the skies as a massive fire rages across the city. A loud buzzing sound begins to shake the aircraft, Logan hears the voice again.

“You have been marked, they can feel your presence. You must come here as fast as possible. Your only choice is to forgive yourself and give in to the power lying inside you.” It says.

What the living fuck is that!?” Taurus screams as he points out the window.

They come upon a tree made of metal that is the size of a skyscraper. Large wires run across the ground as if they are roots. The branches stab out into the sky with sharp edges and upon closer inspection, pods are hanging from the branches. Val brings them to a branch and opens the bay door.

“We have to know what is inside those and what are they doing here.” Val says.

Leo steps from the craft onto the enormous tree branch as does Taurus. They approach the pod and Taurus's arm morphs into a scanning device.

“Give me a few seconds and I’ll have a reading on what’s inside.” He says. Leo reaches out and places his hand on the pod and closes his eyes. Logan’s eyes begin to burn, the pain is searing, it reaches from his eyes to the back of his skull. He closes them and begins to experience a vision. It’s as if he is seeing through something else’s eyes. It runs on all fours across the ground, clearing twenty yards easy per bound. It leaps into the air and begins running up the tree. Logan feels what the creature does, an overwhelming sense of anger and fear. A directive replays in his mind, saying to kill all humans. Maim them, murder them, eat them. Show them you are above them! Logan staggers and leans on the wall, still not sure what is happening he is lost in the vision. The emerald lines begin to glow on his skin. Is this the power? I’ve felt different since Prometheus attacked me. This is my fault but I will fix it. Help me! I pray to whoever the fuck can hear me! Help me stop these damn Remnant, I know I can do it! Please! I forgive myself, I… Just want to save us…” He thinks. The voice in his mind speaks again.

“Vow you will save humanity at any cost.” It says.

I vow to pay any cost! Logan screams in his mind. Outside, Taurus’ scans are completed and his mouth falls agape.

“People… It has a person inside, the scan is saying the pod is breaking down their body's nutrients.” He mumbles. Leo becomes infuriated and rears back his massive metal fist and punches the pod as hard as he can. His fist slams through the outer layer and with both hands he begins to tear it open. A green liquid begins to fall from the pod and he reaches in and removes the body. If you can even call it that anymore, all that is left is what looks like a mummified corpse. Their skin is melted off, eyes gone from their sockets and a look of utter terror cemented on their face.

“These fucking machines!” Leo cries as he holds what once was a mother. Back inside the ship, Logan sees Leo through the creature's eyes. He snaps out of the vision and rushes outside to warn them but it is too late.

“It’s above you!” He screams as Leo looks up to see a panther-like robotic creature leaping from above. It bites down on his shoulder and he falls four stories from the branch to a lower one.

“No!” Taurus screams as a loud screech comes from his right side. He looks over to see a flying bird the size of a car swooping towards him. He quickly turns his arm into a cannon and begins firing on it. The bullets bounce off doing no damage whatsoever and its talons pierce his skin and pull him from the branch.

“Get inside now!” Val screams from the cockpit and Logan falls backward into the bay door. She takes off quickly as a flock of the birds begins to descend towards them. Logan watches as Taurus is swarmed by the group and ripped to pieces. Abject terror begins to grip his mind.

“Get on the gun God Damn it! Logan snap the fuck out of it! We are next if you don’t start shooting them down!” Val screams. Her voice brings him back to his senses and he rushes towards the gunner seat. He begins to fire into the flock that is chasing them, the rounds from this gun tear through the birds. Val pilots towards the ground hoping to lose them in the buildings of the city. She weaves in and out between them with ease as Logan continues firing. How am I so good at hitting them? What is happening to me? It’s like my senses are dialed up to eleven. He thinks. A flutter of movement catches his eye to his right and he aims over there to see a horde of rushing human Remnant dashing towards them. It reminds him of a group of ants all rushing over each other to devour their next meal. The Remnant all scream in unison but instead of fear gripping him an ice-cold hatred takes over his heart. Focusing all his killing intent he begins to mow them down with brutal efficiency. As they get closer to the craft he expertly blows them to pieces.

“There are too many! You have to get us out of the city!” He yells. Val begins to ascend into the sky and sees a flying craft in front of them. A beam of light illuminates them and the craft halts in air.

“I can't move! Our ship is frozen or something! All the sensors are going nuts and the controls are locked up!” She screams from the cockpit. It's a tractor beam, how did they create this? We don't have any tech like this on Earth. No time to figure that out right now, there must be an operator. He thinks. Logan walks to the front of the cockpit and focuses his eyes on the ship in front of them. His vision zooms in like a camera and he sees a Remnant piloting the ship.

“I'll tell you the coordinates, can you snipe the pilot?” He asks. Val looks surprised.

“Sure if I could see the target, it's way too far. It must be five hundred yards away from us. I didn't bring the scope for that distance. This wasn't a recon mission so I left it at HQ.” She replies.

“Can the rifle fire that distance if I help you aim?” He asks calmly.

“Yea, it can reach up to one thousand yards accurately.” She answers. He motions for her to grab it and she complies. Logan punches into the glass of the windshield and clears it away.

“Aim for ten degrees west and twenty degrees north.” She complies and begins to take aim. “Bring it down by one degree and fire within three seconds.” Logan says. She pulls the trigger and moments later the Remnant’s head explodes. The ship begins to crash and the tractor beam is released. Before Val can take the pilot seat Logan is already there and expertly maneuvering around the falling ship to safety.

“How can you see that far? Did you get eye upgrades and not tell me? Also when the hell did you learn to fly?” Val asks.

“My body is changing Val, ever since my son stabbed me in the chest with his hand. I never told anyone but I think he infused some kind of energy into me. I tried to figure it out but with this war going on I decided it was more important to finish my work. To answer your last question, no I never learned to fly. I just know how to somehow.” He replies in a monotone voice. Val looks over at him uneasily and places her hand on her sidearm.

“Logan… Tell me right now, are you being influenced by Aion? Are you yourself?” She asks. After a long pause, Logan looks at her.

“I’m still me, it’s almost like all the emotions that were eating away at me have started to fade to the back of my mind. The guilt, self-hate, and loathing have turned into a drive to finish my work. I will find a way to save humanity, this is my vow to you. Leo and Taurus, I know you all have grown close since this began. They were like family to you right?” Logan asks. Val looks out the window and tries not to think about watching them die. She will never crack a joke with Taurus again, never put Leo in his place.

“They were family to me but so are you Logan. Please just tell me if you begin to feel not you anymore. I’ll put you down if I have to.” She replies.

“Understood.” Logan says coldly. They approach New Delphi and the city seems to be intact so far. The war of extinction hasn’t reached their lands yet but it slowly marches towards them. They fly over crowds of refugees leaving the city and massive traffic on the roadways. Military personnel direct traffic and set up armed positions in strategic points across the city.

“Do you think these people will escape before the Remnant get here?” Val asks.

“I think mass exodus is a good plan, the military here can provide a distraction at best. Those animal-like Remnant are vicious and hard to bring down without proper artillery. From my scans of the troops stationed here they could hold them off for likely an hour tops.” Logan replies. Suddenly the radio begins to buzz, a male voice comes from the speaker but it keeps breaking up.

“Hello… Is… Anyone… Hello… Leo here… I survived the… Fall, hiding underground…” The transmission ends.

“Leo is alive! We have to go back to rescue him!” Val screams. Logan ignores her and keeps flying. “Turn around now Logan!” He brings the craft towards the ground and walks towards the back. The hangar door slowly starts to lift as he looks back at her with a smile.

“Go rescue him, if I don't meet my contact here then it's all over anyway. Here, plug this in and it will link our CPUs so I can upload the equation once it’s solved. Good luck Val, don’t die out there. For what it’s worth, I forgave myself like you said.” He says as he leaps off the back of the craft. Val watches him and for some reason, a feeling of confidence washes over her. She knows he will complete his mission but at what cost?