Chapter 2: Drones and Staff

Taking a breath Aksel stared at the place through which he had just escaped but surprisingly the metal door was no longer visible, in its place now stood a holographic rectangle shape of the former door. There was a neon blue light bordering the air of its shape and two hollow overlapping circles of the same color was present right in the middle.

Through the hologram, Aksel could see tall buildings bathed in lights of neon colors reaching all the way, to the sky. He was back in his city.

"At least I can go back home," he mumbled getting up from where he was sitting down on the ground. When the tremors of the life-risking attack subsided from his mind and body he immediately recognized the place. It was the branding square where the door to the branding room was situated. The tall buildings were situated on all four sides of the Branding Square as people bustled around on the pavements and shops going about their business unmindful of the young man that had been muddle-headedly peering around. When his eyes fell on one of the buildings that displayed the time, he realized that it had been around three hours since he had entered through that same door for his branding.

'Was I really stuck in there for three hours?'

He wondered dusting himself off as he deliberated what he was supposed to do next. He had never before heard of a case where the person didn't get branded and it stressed him more than he would have liked.

He tried remembering if he had ever learned of such an exception in school or maybe heard from his parents but nothing as such came to his mind and deciding it better to just sleep it off for the rest of the night, he heaved down the steps of the square raised platform where the door was situated at.

Each city on earth had one and every person had to go there to be branded when they turned twenty. All his other friends had been branded already and he, being the youngest in his class was waiting for a long time, hoping to show off his cool transformation to his friends too.

"They are all going to laugh at me," he sighed looking at an Exter with sharp talons passing him by with the glowing blue of the two overlapping circles branded on her arms. She was taller than him and probably older. He didn't realize he had been staring and he quickly moved his eyes away from her when she turned her head in his direction. If she was one of those angry mutations who had a terrible temper then his mere gaze on them would be enough to warrant him to be shredded to pieces.

He was about to take a step when he found a Nummus lying near his feet and bending to pick up the money he had just grabbed it when he felt the air shift over his head. Something had crossed over him in a rapid motion and looking above he found two drones hovering above him.

One of the drones lowered itself a little and scanned him making him take a step back as a holographic message was now displayed from it.

NAME: AKSEL BRUWES

AGE: 20

TYPE: UNBRANDED, A CRIMINAL

Without a second's delay, Aksel started running. He knew that what The Branding System could not have completed in that room these drones had been sent here to do. The drones immediately followed him and a second later he saw the same conical instruments that shot laser bullets extending out from either side of the drones like mini arms holding guns as they aimed for him.

Escaping these flying machines would be impossible for him unlike the fixed lasers in the room and looking around for something to use to destroy these he picked up a flower pot from a florist's shop nearby. The owner had not been outside to notice this theft or the one killing him wouldn't have been these drones but a Contrivo or an Exter.

'If I had been caught then I would have been dead for sure!'

Getting down from the pavement to avoid angering any passing people that he might run into, he scurried on the smooth asphalt roads.

It was a blessing that the futuristic world mostly didn't have any vehicles on the road, thanks to the scientists who had successfully invented flying vehicles, or the next thing he knew he would be roadkill like his ancestors usually died back a few thousand years ago. Jumping on a floating bench on the side of the pavement he stepped on its edge and turning around at once, aimed the flower pot at one of the drones. It was a failed attempt as easily dodging it the machines continued to close in on him.

The first bullet shot had barely missed him when he suddenly tripped and barely containing himself from falling he huffed from the exertion on his body.

How long was he going to run like this?

He was becoming slower and slower by the second and finally when he had no more strength left he fell to his knees and huffing with his mouth open he turned to look around as his legs ached from the strain he had put them under. He must have run over a kilometer and lasting this long had amazed him again with his physical abilities.

Since when could he fight or for that matter even run like that?

The drones stopped at his pause and aimed the laser gun at him. He braced himself, feeling the rough texture of the pavement against his hand as he still tried to find something that could help him. Nothing was there for his rescue and when the red beam started collecting at the tip again he closed his eyes only to hear a loud grunt and the whirring of a machine.

Opening an eye he peeked to find a Contrivo standing near him, just centimeters away from his nose, blocking the drone's view of him. The Contrivo had massive mechanical legs that reflected his haggard reflection in the sheen of its metal. He was waiting for something or maybe someone, and on spotting another Contrivo on the other side of the road quickly crossed it leaving Aksel vulnerable again in the vision of the drones.

The sight of this Contrivo reminded him of his parents and he wished that he had run in the direction of home instead of taking a completely opposite road. The drones refocused their target on him and he realized that he had made a dumb mistake of not using that minuscule second to hide or run away.

But despite the slight regret, he realized one weakness of these small machines; they must have been programmed in such a way that they didn't harm or shoot in presence of a branded person to avoid hurting them. Maybe that was the reason why it hadn't shot him already to avoid hitting another person.

'I need to find a crowded place.'

He thought, picking himself to run again but there was no such opportunity left for him. By the time he had found the strength to pull himself up to his feet the laser bullet had been fired but thankfully he was whisked away as the laser grazed the baggy material of his hoodie.

"What the-?" he had just started to say when he felt himself being slammed against the alley wall of a tall building. With a loud thud, he hurt his head, and groaning at the pain that shot through him he heard a chuckle making him look up in its direction.

"Sorry weak boy, I was just trying to help," a woman's voice resounded from under a dark hood that covered most of her face. He had never seen her before in his life and wanting to ask her more he had just lifted his sluggish body with the support of the dirty wall when he saw her look away. She instantly moved back and away from him as she kicked up an iron staff to her hand that was lying on the floor and swiveling it around she ran towards the drones that were now aiming at her. Jumping on a trash bin she jammed the rod in one of the small bodies of the drones causing it to crash and immediately catch fire while the other she took down with her own hands.

Crushing it to the ground she first broke away the conical instrument and then swept the drone banging it against the wall beside Axel's head. This sudden action made him shrivel as he protected himself with his hand to avoid the sparks of the machine to injure his face instinctively.

"No need to worry, you are safe but we need to leave this place right now before they send more of these dumb boxes. They might not be that hard to destroy but when in a lot of numbers they are certainly a pain in the ass," she huffed jamming out her staff from the destroyed drone and examining it.

Aksel was hesitant and in awe as he saw the woman moving around fearlessly. He couldn't recognize her as an Exter or a Contrivo and by her stance, he could easily tell she wasn't a Debilis then what was she? And why was she helping him?

Peeking out on either side of the Alley she then beckoned him to follow her and without another word, Aksel decided to do that. It was obviously safer to stay with her than to be on his own. Maybe she would help him to reach back home?

"Excuse me, miss," he said making sure that he was being polite. When he had her attention he requested, "I know it's asking a lot from you when you just saved me but could you help me reach my home?"

He didn't want to admit it but somewhere or the other it slightly hurt Axel's pride to be pleading for help to go home like a little kid. He didn't like how helpless he was feeling but given the scenario staying alive was a better option than anything else.

The light of the neon buildings was now falling on her as she stood on the pavement and out of the dark alley, this made it easier for him to see the lower part of her face and mostly her pink lips that were now pulled into a small smile. Looking away she chuckled, sarcasm evident in her voice as she said, "Sorry but I can't do that."

Stepping forward towards her slightly insulted at her laughter he inched his brows closer as he asked, "And why can't you?"

This time the smile vanished from her face and he could feel her grave stare through the hoodie as she said, "Because you have no home."