Note from the author: Hi all! New Chapter from Geronimo aka 005. I realise upon re-reading this that the start is a bit claustrophobic but, 005 seems the claustrophobic type to me. Also, there's a new structure to this fanfic. You get two chapters from each 2nd Gen cyborg and then a bridge chapter from one of the 1st gens. So, the structure goes: Dr Gilmore, 005, 005, 001, 006, 006, 002, 007, 007, 003, 008, 008, 004, 009, 009, epilogue (not telling who that's by :p). See ya next chapter!!
Chapter One - the second generation
Everything is black; the world is quiet. Have I died? Or is this a dream? It fells like I'm on an island in the middle of a still ocean with no other places for miles and miles.
But, there is no calm, only a building tension. In this blackness, something is lurking, waiting, watching me. This is bad. A voice, in my head; barely above a whisper. I can't even make it out. There it is again, louder; it's getting closer. I hear the words now; a message.
Open your eyes, wake up. Quickly, before they find you. Wake up.
In less than a second there is white light all around me, the dream is gone; I am in some sort of military bunker. I cannot see another person. But, the voice; I heard it so clearly. I close my eyes again, let my mind go blank;
where are you?
There is silence. I listen for the voice, nothing. The room around me is empty.
I feel so strange, half suffocated almost. Something gone, taken, and replaced while I slept. Was I asleep? I remember, those men, they were at my work… They followed me home, cornered me, then, blackness… Emptiness… Who were those men? Where did they take me?
The air here is tense, electrified. So much has happened in this room alone: emotion, pain, anxiety. I have to get out of here, quickly, before this place has an effect on me. I'm already feeling uneasy.
The room has one bed, a small window and a bolted steel door. There has to be someone on the other side. I call out, voice hoarse.
Is anyone there?
Silence. Only my own breathing echoes against the metal walls. It is becoming harder and harder to breathe in here. I have to get out of here. There is no life here, only the monotonous thump of a machine world. Cold, sterile and exact.
In an instant I'm up on my feet.
Is there anyone there?! Let me out of here!
The walls are closing in on me. The energy inside me is welling up. I punch at the door; it goes flying off its hinges, broken in half. For a moment I simply stand, overcome and completely silent. My hand is still curled into a tight fist.
That blow should have at least broken all of my fingers, not the door. I've heard stories of humans who have performed great feats of strength and speed under great pressure, but, I've been in worse situations than this and haven't done anything remotely close to that. My hand is moving fine, as if it were only paper I'd just smashed through. I hear a voice, an old man.
Oh, you're awake then 005. Good to see there's no apparent mental trauma, unlike that other lot. Anyway, there are four others like you near here. Well, technically they're not exactly like you but they're pretty close. You have to fight the other four outside. You'll notice a few, changes, once you get going but don't worry too much. It'll help…
He tosses a small backpack down at my feet and walks off. Before I have time to even think about what he's said a huge door opens in front of me. Outside there are plants and trees. I rush out the door, backpack over my shoulder. I reach a small glen surrounded by trees on all side.
But, the trees are not natural; they have been planted and fed with chemicals. They have no voices of their own. All I can hear is the same mechanical pulsing all around me, like an electric heart. The tops of the trees rustle from an unknown breeze, artificiality. I'm still indoors.
Inside the pack there isn't much in the way of explanation, just clothes, bright red, and a gun. I flinch and place the gun to the side in the hope of never using it. I dress, quickly, and dash once more into the undergrowth of this machinated forest.
It's so strange here; there are no animals, no insects, no wind and no water. Anyone could tell that this is fake just by looking. But, I know because I can't hear anything. It could be seen as an advantage, I should be able to hear whoever is meant to be attacking me.
I've been running for what feels like hours; this place is much bigger than I could have ever imagined. I stop for a brief moment to catch my breath and take note of my surroundings. Then, I hear it, so faintly, someone crying nearby. I close my eyes and let the sound come to me.
It's a girl, crying, to my left, no more than five minutes away. Within moments I'm running again, someone might be hurt or in the same situation as me.
The trees stop abruptly into a vast empty space; it looks like an old battlefield. There, right in front of me, is a girl. She is on the ground, blonde hair all over her face and eyes filled with tears. It looks like she fell over and landed wrong. As I approach she backs away, I get slightly closer.
Then, I stumble and fall, what was that? It couldn't have been human, it was so fast. A tripwire? No, it was moving. Within seconds I'm on my knees and I hear rushed footsteps. A cold metal presses at the back of my head.
Don't move, speaks a voice. I'm in no mood for games… Drop your gun, now!
Slowly, carefully, I take the gun out of the holster at my side and throw it away. Two more people walk over. One of them speaks.
Chill out 004, he says. You're gonna blow a fuse or something…
Don't start, says the one behind me. You know how precarious our situation is! He's one of them!
You don't know that! Says another, the girl. I can see it; he's a cyborg like us!
003's right, he's like us, speaks another voice, the one from earlier. Calm down 004. We're safe for now…
The person behind me stands back. I must take a chance now. I spin around and strike the man behind m, intending to knock the gun out of his hand. He goes flying back several feet, landing rather badly on his right leg. But, he's fine; that landing should have broken his leg. The second one, the younger man, whips out a gun and yells at me to get down. The girl yells at the boy to calm down.
For a moment I can't think, what did I just do? I've always deplored violence and war but, here I am, fighting others. I stand back, shocked. The first man walks over, swearing. The girl walks over and extends a hand towards me.
We don't want to fight any more than you do, she tells me. I'm 003, the man behind you is 004 and the other one is 002. This petit one is 001.
My gaze falls to the baby in her arms; it was the one with the voice. The girl smiles weakly and then looks suddenly to her left.
What is it? Says the boy 002.
They're coming this way! She says. They know the fight is over.
Only moments later we are surrounded by white lights… The light is too bright…
