Chapter One

Where Does Technology End, And Humanity Begin…?

Petra grabbed the overhead bar as Ezra swung the buggy wildly around a corner. She was already pretty annoyed with him for making her sit in the back, and the cloud above her continued to darken. Khaleel tried to make her laugh.

"Did I tell you the one about the flying monkey?" Khaleel yelled over the roar of the engine and the warning siren.

He chuckled; already amused by the joke he had yet to tell. Petra scowled at him, "Please Don't" she shouted back. Not hearing her, he began anyway.

An animated, Khaleel waved his hands around, and made strange facial expressions. He wasn't put off by the background noise at all. The others watched him with amused looks, except for Petra, who turned away. She was glad that something waited for her on which she could vent and take her frustrations out on. The buggy braked hard, and Khaleel lost balance and landing in Petra's lap. "Nice catch!" he joked, wiggling away from her. Fire burned in her eyes, and smoke blew out her ears. In a moment of unchecked anger, she reached for his vest. Lucky for him, her bionic arm only brushed a breath short of him.

All seven of them jumped off the buggy, and stood in a close circle. "The deviants were spotted around here. Petra, you're up front with me, Kal, Sophia you two in the middle, cover us. Shea, Taka, bring up the rear. And you, Lina, lookout" he ordered, pointing his index and middle fingers to his eyes, then back at her.

She nodded, and winked her bionic eye then separated from the group. Her weapon cradled around her back, she ran to the nearest building. Her dark hair bobbed as she ran, then Lina hoisted herself up a balcony, and continued climbing.

The area, although residential, was quiet. The siren had alerted of danger, and people had locked themselves in their homes.

The group watched Lina scale the apartment building. She lifted herself using her arms, up and over, as though she were a monkey. The others turned back to Ezra and nodded in understanding to his orders. They readied their weapons. Checking that everything was functioning, and moved towards imminent danger.

Once they were a few feet from the others, Petra turned to Ezra. "You didn't want me up front in the buggy, but here is fine" Petra complained, narrowing her eyes at him. She liked being in the front because she didn't enjoy having to share space with anyone. Ezra kept his gaze focused on the road before them. The air shimmered before their eyes. "Well, Sophia is cute" he laughed with a shrug, knowing this would only annoy her further. "Ugh" she muttered, looking like she'd bitten into a lemon.

Ezra rolled his eyes at her as if to say, 'Don't be a baby'. He surveyed the worn out road before them. "Blasters ready, turn on coms" he commanded, without taking his eyes off the area before him.

Each one of them carried a silver pulse gun. The handle was short, but long enough to grip. The firing tube was longer and fired tiny electromagnetic discs that released a pulse on impact. These rendered the deviant robots immobile.

Aside from Lina, none in their group had a bionic eye. Each one had a different, almost unique enhancement. The others however, each wore a glass lens inside their right eyes. It assisted with clearer vision, and helped scan further than a normal eye, for possible danger. It also had infrared capabilities, and sent real time imaging back to Nexus and base.

The lens connected to a linked in communications bud, that nestled perfectly in each team member's ear.

Lina had been running along the balconies, and was high enough to scan the surrounding area.

"Lina, anything?" Ezra asked in a low voice.

"East quadrant clear, north east , clear…" she was silent for about a minute.

"North quadrant… I see movement. No heat signatures, could be bots" she huffed, continuing to scan the area.

Ezra knelt down, making a strange face.

The midday heat sweltered burning into them, showing no mercy.

"If you need the bathroom, this isn't the time" Shea grinned, kneeling next to Ezra.

The others snickered.

Ezra grinned, hitting Shea on the back of his head.

A curtain in a nearby window shifted and a little boy looked out. A hand pulled him from behind, and the curtain was roughly pulled closed.

Looking at them huddled together, each on one knee; one might think that they were a group of average teenagers ready for a sports match. But this was no game.

"Shea, you, Kai and Sophia head north east.

Khaleel, Petra and I will keep going straight at them, you three attack from behind. Block any stragglers" he ordered, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with his wrist band.

They each held out their middle and index fingers in a V shape then raised the symbol above their heads.

"Veritas" they mouthed in unison.

Lina, although nowhere near them, did the same.

"Time to take out the trash sixty six" Ezra cheered, loud enough for the seven of them.