Good Soldier
1863 Words
“Hey Man! Wake up.” A nudging to his side woke him up.
Groggily he looks up and sees, the 9th placer, the man he was with during the first few minutes in the third round.
“What is it?” Lucas asked.
“I’ve been kicked out of the group, that’s why I’ll join you.”
“...”
“I am Jack. You are Lucas right? I’ll be in your care now.” Jack said and settled on Elijah’s bed.
“That’s my bed, please get out.” Elijah pops out.
“Why? did they say they don’t want you too?”
“Dude, I am not like you. I really chose Lucas from the start!”
“Is that why you are only coming now?
“I only needed to do some thinking!!”
Jack only then clicked his tongue and moved away.
“I’ll be in your care again, man.”
“...”
Lucas looks at the time [16:46:03] and sees that the other side is getting rowdy. He guesses about the other group’s problem.
‘Who will stay?’ Seeing that Brandy is still on his knees, the 10th placer is having a fit, and Liam has this sour look in his face, Lucas can’t help but smile miniscule before going back to the bed.
Being everyone’s desire is not always good.
They are desperate because only one group will win in the end. Everyone will want to be on the winning team.
‘But who knows who will win?’ He shuts his eyes and flashes of his younger sister with tubes engraved in his mind.
‘I will win everything for you. No matter what happens.’ He said with a conviction at the image of his sister.
[12:18:36]
Lucas, Jack and Elijah are on the ground eating their meal. Lucas shares his meal as they talk.
“Are you also an Outlander?” Jack asked Elijah as he put meat in his mouth.
“Huh? No! Do I look that old? I am just 20 years old.”
Jack looked at Lucas and Lucas only shrugged his shoulders as he put meat on top of rice and put it in his mouth.
“You look older than your age.” Jack said.
“Excuse me! Look at me again, old man! I am often told I look younger. I can be mistaken for a highschooler.”
“That’s probably because of your height.”
‘They get along…’ Lucas commented in his head.
They bicker for a while until they finish eating and when they turn back the trays to the small window, the escalator moves and the trays go back.
They sat around Lucas' bed.
“Why are you here?” Lucas slightly frowned as he inserted himself inside the blanket.
“But old man, what do you mean by ‘Outlander’ also? Are you an outlander?”
Jack turns to Lucas who is quiet. “You didn’t tell him?”
“Wait, what? YOU WERE AN OUTLANDER!” Elijah loudly announced to everyone.
“You really didn’t know? Haven't you guys been together since the beginning?” Jack was also surprised.
“Does this face look like I know?! Man! I thought we were closer than that. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You never asked.” Lucas actually evaded topics that are going in that direction but he never denied it when people ask.
On the other side, players asked each other.
“He is an outlander? Did you know?” Aaron asked Athena who was eating an apple.
“Yeah, why do you think he got his knowledge from?”
“He is not the type of person to tell everyone, so how did you know?” Liam joined the conversation.
“Are you two close?” Athena asked.
“Hahaha. No, but I have been interested in him since the beginning.”
“You are a p*****t then.”
Michael the third placer glared at Athena. “Do you have death wish?”
“Wanna go with it? I’ll let you hit me first.” Athena smiled.
“Enough. Remember the rules.”
Only if not Liam’s interference, Athena would have succeeded in taunting Michael.
“People who had stayed outside the wall for more than a year are called ‘Outlanders’” Looking at Lucas from the other side, Aaron was not able to wrap it around his head. He looks young, he looks like he is not in his 30s yet.
Liam seems to know what Aaron is thinking. “That’s right. Based on his actions, responses and decisions, well at first his reactions are delayed but he adapted quickly. . . He aced every test, despite having low ranking. Don’t you both think so?
“...”
“Hahaha. I could say he stayed outside for a couple of years. Around 3-4 years.”
“That long?” Aaron asked.
“Ah, let me correct it, he had lived outside the wall for an estimated 3-4 years, minimum.”
Even Athena, who was leisurely eating apples, stopped for a moment.
“That’s why he is so twisted.”
Lucas looked at their direction with tired eyes and averted it again.
“Why didn’t he become a soldier?” Aaron asked.
“That’s what I asked him too… wouldn’t his life be much better if he was a soldier. His experience is enough for credentials.”
“Either he is traumatized so much that he is unfit to work or he is an i***t. If you are going to ask me, I think he is the latter.” Athena had said.
Aaron frowned at her and excused himself.
“Is that a judgment from a military person herself or just an opinion?”
“You, how did you know?”
“It’s one of my skills.” He smiled at Athena.
“You are creepier than Lucas, you know that.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment… but do you think Lucas didn’t know what you are? I bet he did, or else why does he still keep you?”
Athena frowned but Liam ignored it and went ahead.
[Time Check: 11:59:59]
****
Watching through the Camera are hundreds of other Military soldiers. Even the people by their computers monitoring the players are called soldiers, though their main function is to provide support.
“How are the preparations going?” Macord asked.
“System is up and running, ready to use.” One answered but was busy typing something in her dual monitor desk.
“Items and Rewards are complete, ready to use.”
“Trials are ready to install.”
“Venue is still on third sweeping.”
“The coverage?” Macord comes behind the soldier that last reported and look at the data on his monitor.
“2km search and sweep, sir.” On the monitor, it showed multiple vans and lots of deployed soldiers wearing all black and gas masks. They are equipped with weapons.
“Make it 5km and up to five sweeps by tomorrow. I want you all to keep an eye on possible interference. We are nearing the promised land, something unexpected might happen, we will not want our efforts to be wasted right?”
“Yes, Sir!”
As they saluted his order, everyone went to their own work.
*Ring ring ring
“Yes Sir?” Macord greeted respectfully by the phone.
“...”
“They are considered dead, sire. We are not able to confirm the body because the drones cannot squeeze inside the room–”
“...”
“ Yes sir.”
*beep beep beep
He inhaled and exhaled for a moment and asked the team. “Give me a visual on Round 2 Venue.”
The small screen video was dragged to the big screen and enlarged.
“Any signs of any survivors?”
“No, sir. We are not detecting any heat signs anymore in the room.”
“What about the other one?”
Another soldier answered. “Negative sir.”
Scanning the screens again, Macord can see many movements on the screen with several system boxes that detect movements. Since there are hundreds scattered undead through the field and not one human temperature was caught. Macord has decided.
“Wrap it up.”
“Sir, Should I get the sweeping team on this next?”
“No, The sweeping team will stay in the last venue. Tell the other team nearby to close the doors and kill any undeads outside the arena. We will collect them after the games.”
“Yes. Sir.”
The Hard steel door opened which made Macord look back. He saluted to this gray haired man and this man told them to be at ease. Macord comes and greet again.
“I was told that you encountered someone sniffing around the games. How is that going?” The old man said as he was looking over the big screen. It was split into videos. One is with the players inside a room eating and the other is split to more screen showing the stadium.
It’s been three days since Gabrielle’s team has arrived in the second game venue: The arena and was swarmed by undead. Macord explained it in a brief report as he handed down the profiles of the group.
“Too bad, we lost one of the best men. Tsk tsk.” The senior military officer shook his head and put down the documents.
“Sir, may I ask why Gabrielle, the Renaissance’s captain, was not invited to the inner circle? I believe she might’ve—-! I apologize for overstepping.”
The glare he suddenly received subsided and a pat on his bowing soldier was felt.
“Lift your head. Can you tell me what makes a good soldier?”
“Good soldiers follow orders without question.”
“Exactly. Now, Can that soldier (Gabrielle) follow orders without questions?”
“...”
“It was a loss, we lost one our best but that can’t be helped. What is that saying again? Curiosity killed the Cat?”
The senior officer pat Macord’s shoulder. “I trust that you will handle it, right.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Bring in your report by later, I will have to report it to the game masters.”
Bidding goodbye, he remained saluting as his superior passed the hard steel door.
Going down the stairs he looked at a long table full of papers.
‘My job has never ending tasks… but first we can’t have those (undead) running wild in the area, near the walls.’
He put on his earpiece and checked the status of the stadium. He could hear and see the soldiers closing the doors fast and efficiently. Undead that is outside was shot dead.
“Sir, What will be done with the vehicles?”
“Flat it then leave it.”
While listening to Macord a soldier had missed something in his monitor, the box that detects motions had flickered and a number appeared on top of it. A temperature.
- Writer
